Eighteen-month follow-up of infants fed evaporated milk formula

In parts of Canada including Newfoundland and Labrador and among Aboriginal peoples, infants still consume evaporated milk (EM) formulas for cultural and economic reasons. At 3 and 6 months, full-term infants fed EM (n=30). r eceived low intakes of iron, thiamine, selenium and had higher weight veloc ity than breastfed (BF, n=29) infants. EM infants had greater anemia, lower ed transketolase activity (thiamine) and lowered glutathione peroxidase (se lenium) activity (p<0.05). To determine the later effect of early feeding deficit on nutritional statu s, we examined these same infants at 18 months of age. At that time, there were no differences in dietary intakes of energy, protein, zinc, copper, se lenium and iron, nor in plasma levels of zinc copper, vitamin C, nor in red blood cell activity levels of glutathione reductase (riboflavin), transket olase, glutathione peroxidase, nor in superoxide dismutase. However, EM inf ants weighed more and were more likely to visit a physician, have anemia, a nd have iron depletion than were BF infants. We conclude that infants consu ming evaporated milk formulas should receive iron supplements throughout in fancy.