Breast milk composition is being studied vigorously. It appears that breastfed babies grow equally rapidly on lesser calories than bottle-fed babies, leading to queations regarding specific growth factors in human milk, or other physiological or nutritional components including substances,uniguefatty acid distributionn, andeven minor carbohydrate constituents.
Better foods for prematurely born infants are being sought. While it is recognized that low birth weight infants have unique requirements and that these requirements may change with maturity, it is also known that prematures grow well when fed their own mother’s milk (12). However, it is frequently difficult to maintain this source of nutrients, and substitutes must be available. Electrolyte and mineral imbalances are not incommon in fants fed avialable formulas. Other illnesses, such as retrolental fibroplasia, may be affected by nutritional manipulations. Taurine, present in human milk, is low in many formulars and may be essentail to premature infants (13).
When may have more allergenic proteins, particularly lactoglobulins, than casein. Attempts to denature these proteins are not entirely successful. Other proteins may be used as a basis for formula development. Soy protein has been used, but has been found to be as allergenic as cow’s proteins. Meats and other vegetables as well as changes in techniques of preparation of proteins are being studied. Stuied. Vegetable sources are deficient in carnitine (14) which may be necessary for better utilization of fats.