Abstract:

Objective To explore the effect of lactoferrin fortified formula milk for infants with breastfeeding on growth and development and iron metabolic homeostasis. Methods In this prospective multi-center controlled intervention study , a total of 260 infants aged 4-6 months old were selected from six maternal and children's health care hospitals. All subjects were divided into two groups with the sequence of outpatient: lactoferrin fortified formula milk group (fortified group, FG, containing lactoferrin 38 mg·100 g-1 milk and iron element 4 mg·100 g-1 milk) and no lactoferrin fortified milk group(control group, CG, containing lactoferrin 0 mg/100g milk and iron element 4.2 ·100 g-1 milk) for 3 months. The levels of weight, height and head circumference and the concentration of hemoglobin (Hb), serum ferritin (SF), serum transferring receptor (sTfR) were measured and sTfR-SF index (TFR-F index), total body iron content (TBIC) and HAZ, WAZ and WHZ were computed before and after intervention, respectively. Results A total of 213 (including 115 in FG, and 98 in CG) infants were completed the intervention trial and all the measurements of biochemical indicators. There was no significant difference in the average amount of daily intake of formula milk ［(94.3±9.8) g vs (88.2±8.7) for FG and CG, P>0.05］ and iron element ［(3.8±0.4) mg vs (3.7±0.6) mg for FG and CG, P>0.05］ between FG and CG. The average amount of daily intake of lactoferrin for infants in FG group was (35.8±3.7) mg. The levels of weight, WAZ, WHZ, Hb, SF, TFR-F index and TBIC of infants after intervention in FG were all significantly higher than those of infants in CG. The changes of index were (2 213±82) vs (2 033±77) g for weight, (0.82±0.22) vs (-0.05±0.01) for WAZ, (0.74±0.32) vs (0.20±0.06) for WHZ, (13.9±4.1) vs (7.2±1.8) g·L-1 for Hb, (1.37±0.08) vs (0.55±0.04) μg·L-1 for SF, (0.86±0.11) vs (0.39±0.05) for TFR-Findex and (19.4±8.8) vs (9.1±3.4) mg·kg-1 for TBIC, P<0.05, but significantly lower (P<0.001) for the prevalence of anemia (4.1% vs 7.5%), iron deficiency (13.9% vs 24.4%) and the iron deficient anemia (1.7% vs 8.2%). Conclusion The effect of intervention of latoferin fortified formula milk on iron metabolic homeostasis of infant with exclusively breastfeeding was mainly manifested on total body iron content and iron absorption in intestine.

Key words: Field intervention, Infants, Iron metabolic homeostasis, Lactoferrin