Questions to the supply of young infants with fat and fatty acids. II. Fat content and fatty acid pattern in milk formulae for healthy infants in the first 6 months of life.

The fat content and the fatty acid pattern were analyzed in 30 commercially prepared milk formulae for healthy infants in the fisrt 6 months of life. We found an average fat content of 3.4 g or 3.6 g/100 ml in "partly adapted" and "adapted" milk formulae, between 1.4 g and 3.3 g/100 ml in "not defined" milk formulae. We regard a fat content lower than 3.0 g/100 ml and more than 4.0 g/100 ml as not advisable. In most milk formulae the ratio of saturated: unsaturated fatty acids is similar to the ratio in human milk fat. This ratio is obtained from a mixture of cow's milk fat with vegetable oils or by a mixture of various vegetable fats. The difference in the fatty acid pattern between the milk formulae and the fatty acid pattern in mature human milk are demonstrated and discussed. The tolerance of milk formulae for young infants is not influenced in an unfavorable manner by butyic acid. A high portion of lauric acid in mild formulae seems undesirable. The importance of the position of palmitic acid in the triglycerides of milk formulae for infants is discussed, and it is referred to the advantage of a mixture of cow's milk fat with vegetable fats. A linoleic acid content of 3 kcal% in the minimum and 7 kcal% in the maximum in milk formulae for infants is regarded as advisable.