Buffer capacity of infant formulas diluted with different types of water

Abstract

Artificial feeding of infants under 1 year old deserves a special attention. It is generally accepted that the infant formula is approximated to the human milk and adapted to the infantile digestive system. Important properties of breast milk are pH and acid-based buffer capacity. According to this fact, the results of the experimental determination of pH and buffer properties of fresh, fermented, and anti-reflux infant formulas, diluted with water of different pH, have been presented. It was found that reconstituted fermented infant formulas has one unit pH less than the antireflux and fresh mixtures. When restoring infant formula with waters of different alkalinity, pH value changed slightly. Thus, pH of fresh and antireflux mixtures varied in the range 6.67±0.76, of fermented milk mixtures - 5.75±0.55. The buffer capacity with respect to acid of infant formulas play an important role in the nutrition of the child. It depends on the proteins (having different amino acid composition) comprising the milk mixture, and on the type of water, which is used for restoring. Restored infant formulas having a greater buffer capacity for acid can reduce infant gastric acidity. Six of submitted infant formula reconstituted with children bottled water "Nutrilak AQUA", "HiPP" and "Arhyzik" observed the lowest values of the buffer capacity (9.00±3.00 mmol/l). The larger value of the buffer capacity by acid (>12.00 mmol/l)) was observed in formulas reconstituted with boiled tap water and children bottled water "Agusha" and "FrutoNyanya".