Energy balance and nitrogen balance in growing low birthweight infants fed human milk or formula

Energy and nitrogen balances were measured in growing low birthweight infants fed either mother’s expressed breast milk or a 20 kcal per ounce formula to determine whether or not there were differences between the two dietary groups in (1) the partition of energy among excretion, expenditure, and storage and (2) the relation of energy storage and nitrogen retention to weight gain. There were no significant differences between the human milk fed infants and formula fed infants in gross energy intake, metabolizable energy intake, nitrogen intake, or nitrogen retention. Energy expenditure was significantly lower in the human milk fed infants than in formula fed infants (221 kJ/(kg. day) and 244 kJ/(kg. day), respectively). There was no difference in mean energy storage between the two groups. Although weight gains were similar in both dietary groups, the ratio of energy storage to weight gain was significantly greater in infants fed with human milk (15.3 kJ/g, S.D. 2.0) than in infants fed formula (13.2 kJ/g S.D. 1.8). There was no significant difference between the two groups in the ratio of nitrogen stored to weight gain.