Partition of nitrogen intake and excretion in low-birth-weight infants.

Although nitrogen balance studies have been carried out in low-birth-weight infants, few have partitioned the nitrogen into its components. In this study, 72-hour balance studies were conducted in 24 low-birth-weight infants (gestational age, 30.7 +/- 1.6 weeks; birth weight 1.36 +/- 0.25 kg) fed their mothers' milk (preterm milk) or 50% preterm milk and 50% formula. Total nitrogen, nonprotein nitrogen, and whey protein intake and excretion were measured. Total nitrogen intake (preterm milk group, 452 +/- 138 mg/kg per day; preterm + formula group, 406 +/- 93 mg/kg per day), absorption (85%), and retention (71%) were not significantly different between groups. Intact and fragments of secretory IgA and lactoferrin were detected in soluble fecal extracts, and represented 25% and 9% of intake, respectively. Feeding preterm milk allows for nitrogen accretion similar to intrauterine growth rates for 5 weeks postnatally, and provides potentially functional proteins for the low-birth-weight infant.