Calcium retention from milk-based infant formulas, whey-hydrolysate formula, and human milk in weanling rhesus monkeys
S. Rudloff and B. Lonnerdal
Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis 95616.
An adequate supply of calcium is important for normal bone mineralization
in infants. Special infant formulas have been developed to treat infants
with a high risk of developing allergy. Similar to other diets, it is
important that these products are nutritionally adequate. We have measured
calcium retention from a new formula based on whey hydrolysate and compared
it with conventional formulas, using extrinsic labeling with calcium 47 and
the weanling rhesus monkey as an animal model. Retention of calcium was
similar for all formulas studied: 45% +/- 4% (mean +/- SEM) from
whey-hydrolysate, 47% +/- 2% from whey-predominant, and 53% +/- 7% from
casein-predominant formula. Calcium retention from human milk, 72% +/- 3%,
was significantly higher than from formula. Using these retention values
and the calcium concentrations of the diets, infant formula and human milk
deliver approximately equal amounts of calcium to the infant.
