Stability of vitamin and mineral concentrations of a low-birth-weight infant formula during continuous enteral feeding

The stability of several vitamins and minerals of a new formula for premature infants, Similac® Special Care, was examined following passage through a simulated continuous infusion apparatus designed to duplicate that used for continuous enteral feeding in infants. The concentrations of calcium, iron, zinc, copper, magnesium, vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin E were measured before and after infusion at rates appropriate for delivering 120 calories/kg to infants weighing 733 and 1,000 g. Following passage through this apparatus, significant reductions were noted for calcium (44-54%), iron (23-34%), and zinc (18-32%). Concentrations of copper, mag-nesium, and vitamins A, C, and E remained stable. When another formula commonly used for premature infants, Similac 24LBW, was subjected to similar analysis, the concentrations of all vitamins and minerals studied remained stable. Our study demonstrates that infants fed Similac Special Care by continuous infusion may not receive the quantity of calcium, iron, and zinc implied by the product label.