Selenium and chrominium intakes of very low birthweight pre-term and normal birthweight full-term infants during the first twelve months

Abstract

During a longitudinal study, dietary intake data were collected from 50 pre-term infants (mean birth weight=1054±2334 g, mean gestational age=29±2.5 weeks) and 60 full-term infants (mean birth weight=3509±269 g, mean gestational age=40±1 weeks) at 3,6 and 12 months of age. Mean daily selenium and chromium intakes were calculated from three day dietary records and testweight data for the breast fed infants. Food values were obtained from the literature and by instrumental neutron activation analysis. The mean selenium intake of the pre-term group at three months was lower (p<0.05) (7±4 ug/day) than the mean intake of the full-term group (9±3 ug/day). In contrast, mean chromium intakes in the pre-term group at 3 (39±21 ug/day) and 6 months (48±21 ug/day) were greater (p<0.05) than chromium intakes for the full-term group at these times (23±22 ug/day, 35±25 ug/day). These differences for selenium and chromium (P<0.05) were associated with the small percentage of pre-term infants who were breast fed compared to the full-term group. The mean selenium intakes for both groups met the proposed U.S. Food and Nutrition Board safe and adequate range only at 12 months whereas mean chromium intakes for both groups fell within these ranges at all times. Results suggest that very low birthweight pre-term infants fed commercial full-term milk formulas may have sub-optimal selenium intakes during the early months.