STUDIES ON MILK SUBSTITUTES Ⅶ The Digestibility and Energy Utilization of Soybean Milk-substitute in Infant / 营养学报

ABSTRACT

Metabolic studies were carried out on nine male infants to investigatethe digestibility and utilization of some of the nutrients of the Milk-substitute 5410, there by ascertaining whether those nutrients could satisfy their requirements. From the results of the chemical analyses of the foods and excreta of the infants, statistical treatment of the records on the fre- quency of defecation, the amount and form of the stools, and the growth rate of the infants, it was possible to evaluate the apparent energy utilization of the milk-substitute.The ages of the infants at the beginning of the experiment were 37-77 days, and 6-7 months at the end. The experiment was divided into five periods in the first and second periods the infants were fed alternately with the milk-substitute and powdered whole milk diet; in the third and fourth periods the diets were the same as the first and second but supplemented with cod liver oil concentrate (sbout 1500 1. U. vitamin A and 500 I. U. vitamin D per day). In the fifth period the protein content of the milk-substitute was raised from 16.6% to 22.6%, supplemented also with cod liver oil. In periods when the infants were fed with the milk substitute alone, the number of defecation was significantly less and loose stools fewer than in the milk diet period. Introduction of cod liver oil tended to reduce the dry weight of the feces. When the milk-substitute with higher protein content was given, the number of defecation increased and occurence of diarrhea was more frequent but not more so than during the cow's milk powder period.From the statistical analyses of the results, it was found that the digestibility of protein and carbohydrate of the milk-substitute was significantly lower than that of cow's milk powder but that of fat was higher. Introduction of cod liver oil increased the digestibility of protein, fat, carbohydrate and crude fibre. There was no significant difference between the availability of energy of the milk-substitute and cow's milk powder, the former being 90.9% while the latter 91.7%.The growth curves of the nine infants showed that the higher the food intake, the higher the growth rate. The caloric intakes of eight infants were 100-120 kcal per kilogram of body weight per day and their growth rates were almost identical. The caloric intake of one infant was consistently below 100 kcal per kilogram of body weight per day and his growth rate was significantly lower. It may be concluded, therefore, that when the Milk-substitute 5410 is given to infants supplying 100-120 kcal per kilogram of body weight per day, would be adequate for normal growth.