Serum Total Calcium and Inorganic Phosphate are Higher in Exclusively Breast Fed Infants than Infants on Mixed Diet.

Complementary feeding is gradually replacing traditional exclusive breast-feeding of infants in most parts of Nigeria. This study assessed comparatively, the serum total calcium and inorganic phosphate concentrations in exclusively breast fed infants and those on mixed diet. Blood sample were collected from 200 infants aged between 3 and 6 months, made up of 100 exclusively breast fed infants (EBFI) and 100 infants on mixed diet (MDI). Serum total calcium and inorganic phosphate were determined spectrophotometrically. The EBFI has significantly higher serum levels of total calcium and inorganic phosphate compared to the MDI (P < 0.01, P < 0.001) respectively. There were statistically significant decreases in the concentrations of serum total calcium and inorganic phosphate with increase in the ages of both the EBFI and MDI (P < 0.01, P < 0.05) respectively. An age adjusted comparison of the serum total calcium and inorganic phosphate levels between the EBFI and MDI, showed significantly higher concentrations in the EBFI than the MDI (P< 0.05). Serum total calcium and inorganic phosphate may be higher in EBFI than MDI. This may result from hormonal changes in the mothers which ensure a sufficient supply of calcium and inorganic phosphate to the breast milk and the low bioavailability of calcium and phosphorous in complementary foods used in developing countries