Infant formula causes cellular death that may contribute to necrotizing enterocolitis, a severe intestinal condition that is often fatal and occurs most commonly in premature infants, says a new study.
|Last Updated: Dec 11, 2012, 11:40 AM IST|Source: Bureau
Washington: Infant formula causes cellular death that may contribute to necrotizing enterocolitis, a severe intestinal condition that is often fatal and occurs most commonly in premature infants, says a new study.
University of California San Diego bio-engineers, based their study on tests comparing the digestion of fresh human breast milk and nine different infant formulas.
Scientists have long known that premature infants fed formula are more likely to develop necrotizing enterocolitis than those fed breast milk.
The condition is the leading cause of death from gastrointestinal diseases in premature infants, but the underlying mechanism has not been understood, the journal Paediatric Research reported.
Alexander Penn, working in the Microcirculation Lab of Geert Schmid-Schonbein, bio-engineering professor from the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering, believes they have come closer to an answer, according to a California statement.
The intestines of healthy adults and older children have a mature mucosal barrier that may prevent damage due to free fatty acids.
However, the intestine is leakier at birth, particularly for pre-term infants, which could be why they are more susceptible to necrotizing enterocolitis.
Therefore, the researchers wanted to know what happens to breast milk as compared to infant formula when they are exposed to digestive enzymes.
Overwhelmingly, the digestion of formula led to cellular death, or cytotoxicity - in less than five minutes in some cases - while breast milk did not.
For example, digestion of formula caused death in 47 percent to 99 percent of neutrophils while only six percent of them died as a result of milk digestion.
The study found that breast milk appears to have a built-in mechanism to prevent cytotoxicity.
The research team believes most food, like formula, releases high levels of free fatty acids during digestion, but that breast milk is digested in a slower, more controlled, process.
Currently, many neonatal intensive care units are moving towards formula-free environments, but breastfeeding a premature infant can be challenging or physically impossible and supplies of donor breast milk are limited.
IANS
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.