Premature Infants: Analysis of Serum During the First Seven Weeks

Serum values were determined on 60 premature infants whose birth weights ranged from 1500 to 1750 gm. At 1 week of age each infant was placed into one of six cate-gories and given a feeding schedule according to a predetermined formula sequence and arrangement. Three formulas varying in mineral, caloric, and protein concentra-tions were used. Analyses for sodium, potassium, chloride, carbon dioxide, phosphorus, total protein, albumin, calcium, and urea nitrogen were carried out on blood drawn at 1, 3, 5, and 7 weeks of age. A comparison of levels during the same age period among the experi-mental groups was made. IN ESTABLISHING serum values on premature infants (1-4), it is often difficult to obtain a large group in any specific or limited weight range. This study was undertaken over a two-year period not only to collect data on a large group, but to determine whether certain biochemical parameters are affected when the infants are fed formulas of varying osmolar and caloric composition. The plan involved feeding single formulas to three groups while using the latin square design in feeding three other groups of premature infants over a 6-week period