Adherence of Medium-Chain Fatty Acids to Feeding Tubes of Premature Infants Fed Formula Fortified with Medium-Chain Triglyceride

Abstract

Adherence of medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil to feeding tubes during gavage feeding of Enfamil formula was quantitated. Infants were fed similar volumes of either unfortified formula (n = 11) or MCT oil-fortified formula (0.5 ml/oz); either the MCT oil was mixed with the formula before feeding (n = 11) or the MCT oil was delivered into the feeding tube and then was followed by formula (n = 11). The fat residue in the feeding sets was quantitated by gravimetry, and individual fatty acids were characterized by gas-liquid chromatography. The data show that only trace amounts of lipid (0.23 +/- 0.04%) adhered to feeding sets during feeding of unfortified formula. Significantly more lipid (p less than 0.0005) adhered when formula was fortified with MCT oil, and the method of feeding greatly affected lipid adherence, i.e., 1.52 +/- 0.21% when the MCT oil was followed by formula versus 10.20 +/- 1.76% when the MCT oil was mixed with formula before feeding. Analysis of the fat residue of fortified formula showed that greater than 90% was composed of C8:0 and C10:0, the major fatty acid components of MCT oil. We suggest that care be exercised when fortifying infant formula with MCT oil.