Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-fbnjt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T19:37:43.728Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Biochemical homeostasis and body growth are reliable end points in clinical nutrition trials

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 March 2007

William C. Heird
Affiliation:
Children's Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, 1100 Bates Street, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Studies of biochemical homeostasis and/or body growth have been included as outcome variables in most nutrition trials in paediatric patients. Moreover, these outcome variables have provided important insights into the nutrient requirements of infants and children, and continue to do so. Examples of the value of such studies in improving parenteral nutrition, in defining essential fatty acid metabolism and requirements of infants and in defining the protein and energy needs of low-birth-weight infants are discussed. Data from such studies have helped to define the mechanism of metabolic acidosis and hyperammonaemia associated with the use of early crystalline amino acid mixture and, hence, how to prevent these disorders. Such studies have allowed the development of parenteral amino acid mixtures that circumvent grossly abnormal plasma concentrations of most amino acids and appear to be utilized more efficiently. These studies have also helped define micronutrient requirements, including requirements for several such nutrients that had not been previously recognized as essential (e.g. Cr, Se, Mo, α-linolenic acid). Studies of body growth have been particularly valuable in defining the nutritional requirements of low-birth-weight infants. Finally, studies of metabolic homeostasis coupled with more sophisticated metabolic studies have provided considerable insight into the metabolism of the essential fatty acids, linoleic acid (18:2n-6) and α-linolenic acid (18:3n-3). Although such studies have not defined the amount of the longer-chain PUFA synthesized from each of these essential fatty acids, i.e. arachidonic acid (20:4n-6) and DHA (22:6n-3), they have shown that the rates of conversion are extremely variable from infant to infant, suggesting a possible explanation of why some studies show developmental advantages from intake of these fatty acids while others do not.

Type
Meeting Report
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 2005

References

Abumrad, NN, Schneider, AJ, Steel, D & Rogers, LS (1981) Amino acid intolerance during prolonged total parenteral nutrition reversed by molybdate therapy. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 34, 25512559 Google Scholar
Atkinson, SE, Anderson, GH & Bryan, MH (1980) Human milk: comparison of the nitrogen composition in milk from mothers of premature and full-term infants. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 33, 811815 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Auestad, N, Halter, R, Hall, RT, Blatter, M, Bogle, ML & Burks, W et al. . (2001) Growth and development in term infants fed long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids: A double-masked, randomized, parallel, prospective, multivariate study. Pediatrics 108, 372381 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Birch, EE, Garfield, S, Hoffman, DR, Uauy, R & Birch, DG (2000) A randomized controlled trial of early dietary supply of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and mental development in term infants. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology 42, 174181 Google ScholarPubMed
Carlson, SE, Rhodes, PG & Ferguson, MG (1986) Docosahexaenoic acid status of preterm infants at birth and following feeding with human milk or formula. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 44, 798804 Google Scholar
Carlson, SE, Werkman, SH & Tolley, EA (1996) Effect of long-chain n -3 fatty acid supplementation on visual acuity and growth of preterm infants with and without bronchopulmonary dysplasia. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 63, 687689 Google Scholar
Carnielli, VP, Wattimena, DJ, Luijendijk, IH, Boerlage, A, Degenhart, HJ & Sauer, PJ (1996) The very low birth weight premature infant is capable of synthesizing arachidonic and docosahexaenoic acids from linoleic and linolenic acids. Pediatric Research 40, 169174 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Carver, JD, Wu, PYK, Hall, RT, Ziegler, EE, Sosa, R, Jacobs, J, Baggs, G, Auestad, N & Lloyd, B (2001) Growth of preterm infants fed nutrient-enriched or term formula after hospital discharge. Pediatrics 107, 683689 Google Scholar
Cooke, RJ, Embleton, ND, Griffin, IJ, Wells, JC & McCormick, KP (2001) Feeding preterm infants after hospital discharge: Growth and development at 18 months of age. Pediatric Research 49, 719722 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cooke, RJ, Griffin, IJ, McCormick, K, Wells, JCK, Smith, JS, Robinson, SJ & Leighton, M (1998) Feeding preterm infants after hospital discharge: Effect of dietary manipulation on nutrient intake and growth. Pediatric Research 43, 355360 Google Scholar
Davidson, M, Levine, SZ, Bauer, CH & Dann, M (1967) Feeding studies in low-birth-weight infants. I. Relationships of dietary protein, fat, and electrolyte to rates of weight gain, clinical courses, and serum chemical concentrations. Journal of Pediatrics 70, 695713 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Demmelmair, H, von Schenck, U, Behrendt, E, Sauerwald, T & Koletzko, B (1995) Estimation of arachidonic acid synthesis in full term neonates using natural variation of 13 C content. Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition 21, 3136 Google Scholar
Ehrenkrantz, RA, Younes, N, Lemons, JA, Fanaroff, AA, Donovan, EF & Wright, LL et al. . (1999) Longitudinal growth of hospitalized very low birth weight infants. Pediatrics 104, 280289 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fomon, SJ, Ziegler, EE, Filer, LJ Jr, Nelson, SE & Edwards, BB (1979) Methionine fortification of a soy protein formula fed to infants. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 32, 24602471 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Forbes, GB (1982) Human milk and the small baby. American Journal of Diseases of Children 136, 577578 Google ScholarPubMed
Forchiella, ML, Gura, KM, Sandler, R & Lo, C (1995) Aminosyn PF or trophamine: which provides more protection from cholestasis associated with total parenteral nutrition? Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition 21, 374382 Google Scholar
Friedman, Z, Danon, A, Stahlman, MT & Oates, JA (1976) Rapid onset of essential acid deficiency in the newborn. Pediatrics 58, 640649 Google Scholar
Gordon, HH, Levine, SZ & McNamara, H (1947) Feeding of premature infants. A comparison of human and cow's milk. American Journal of Diseases in Children 73, 442452 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Harper, AE, Benevenga, NJ & Wohlhueter, RU (1970) Effects of ingestion of disproportionate amounts of amino acids. Physiology Review 50, 428558 Google Scholar
Heird, WC (1999) Early use of parenteral amino acids. In Nutrition of the Very Low Birthweight Infant. Nestle Workshop Series, Vol. 43, 5376 Ziegler, EE, Lucas, A and Moro, GE, editors. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Williams Google Scholar
Heird, WC (2001) Determination of nutritional requirements in pre-term infants with special reference to ‘catch-up’ growth. Seminars in Neonatology 6, 365375 Google Scholar
Heird, WC, Dell, RB, Driscoll JM, Jr, Grebin, B & Winters, RW (1972a) Metabolic acidosis resulting from intravenous alimentation mixtures containing synthetic amino acids. New England Journal of Medicine 287, 943948 Google Scholar
Heird, WC, Dell, RB, Helms, RA, Greene, HL, Ament, ME, Karma, P & Storm, MC (1987) Amino acid mixture designed to maintain normal plasma amino acid patterns in infants and children requiring parenteral nutrition. Pediatrics 80, 401408 Google Scholar
Heird, WC, Hay, W, Helms, RA, Storm, MC, Kashyap, S & Dell, RB (1988) Pediatric parenteral amino acid mixture in low birth weight infants. Pediatrics 81, 4150 Google ScholarPubMed
Heird, WC, Nicholson, JF, Driscoll JM, Jr, Schullinger, JN & Winters, RW (1972b) Hyperammonemia resulting from intravenous alimentation using a mixture of synthetic l-amino acids: a preliminary report. Journal of Pediatrics 81, 162165 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Helms, RA, Christensen, ML, Mauer, EC & Storm, MC (1987) Comparison of a pediatric versus standard amino acid formulation in preterm neonates requiring parenteral nutrition. Journal of Pediatrics 110, 466472 Google Scholar
Holman, RT, Johnson, SB & Hatch, RF (1982) A case of human linolenic acid deficiency involving neurological abnormalities. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 35, 617623 Google Scholar
Innis, SM (1991) Essential fatty acids in growth and development. Progress in Lipid Research 30, 39103 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jeejeebhoy, KN, Chu, RC, Marliss, EB, Greenberg, GR & Bruce-Robertson, A (1977) Chromium deficiency, glucose intolerance, and neuropathy reversed by chromium supplementation, in a patient receiving long-term total parenteral nutrition. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 30, 531538 Google Scholar
Jensen, CL, Prager, TC, Fraley, JK, Chen, H, Anderson, RE & Heird, WC (1997) Effect of dietary linoleic/alpha-linolenic acid ratio on growth and visual function of term infants. Journal of Pediatrics 131, 200209 Google Scholar
Jensen, RG (1999) Lipids in human milk. Lipids 34, 12431271 Google Scholar
Johnson, JD, Albritton, WL & Sunshine, P (1972) Hyperammonemia accompanying parenteral nutrition in newborn infants. Journal of Pediatrics 81, 154161 Google Scholar
Kashyap, S, Forsyth, M, Zucker, C, Ramakrishnan, R, Dell, RB & Heird, WC (1986) Effects of varying protein and energy intakes on growth and metabolic response in low birth weight infants. Journal of Pediatrics 108, 955963 Google Scholar
Kashyap, S & Heird, WC (1994) Protein requirements of low birthweight, very low birthweight, and small for gestational age infants. In Protein Metabolism During Infancy 133151 [Raiha, NCR, editor ]. New York: Nestlé Ltd, Raven Press Google Scholar
Kashyap, S, Schulze, KF, Forsyth, M, Dell, RB, Ramakrishnan, R & Heird, WC (1990) Growth, nutrient retention, and metabolic response of low-birth-weight infants fed supplemented and unsupplemented preterm human milk. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 52, 254262 Google Scholar
Kashyap, S, Schulze, KF, Forsyth, M, Zucker, C, Dell, RB, Ramakrishnan, R & Heird, WC (1988) Growth, nutrient retention and metabolic response in low birth weight infants fed varying intakes of protein and energy. Journal of Pediatrics 113, 713721 Google Scholar
Kashyap, S, Schulze, KF, Ramakrishnan, R, Dell, RB & Heird, WC (1994) Evaluation of a mathematical model for predicting the relationship between protein and energy intakes of low-birth-weight infants and the rate and composition of weight gain. Pediatric Research 35, 704712 Google Scholar
Kien, CL & Ganther, HE (1983) Manifestations of chronic selenium deficiency in a child receiving total parenteral nutrition. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 37, 319328 Google Scholar
Laine, L, Shulman, RJ, Pitre, D, Lifschitz, CH & Adams, J (1991) Cysteine usage increases the need for acetate in neonates who receive total parenteral nutrition. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 54, 565567 Google Scholar
Lauritzen, L, Hansen, HS, Jorgensen, MH & Michaelsen, KF (2001) The essentiality of long chain n- 3 fatty acids in relation to development and function of the brain and retina. Progress in Lipid Research 40, 194 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lucas, A (1999) Early nutrition and later outcome. In Nutrition of the Very Low Birthweight Infant, 113 [ Ziegler, EE, Lucas, A and Moro, GE, editors ]. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Williams Google Scholar
Lucas, A, Fewtrell, MS, Morley, R, Singhal, A, Abbott, RA, Isaacs, E, Stephenson, T, MacFadyen, UM & Clements, H (2001) Randomized trial of nutrient-enriched formula versus standard formula for postdischarge preterm infants. Pediatrics 108, 703711 Google Scholar
Lucas, A & Morley, R (1999) Efficacy and safety of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation of infant-formula milk: a randomised trial. Lancet 354, 19481954 Google Scholar
Makrides, M, Neumann, MA, Simmer, K & Gibson, RA (2000) A critical appraisal of the role of dietary long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids on neural indices of term infants: a randomized, controlled trial. Pediatrics 105, 3238 Google Scholar
Martinez, M (1992) Tissue levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids during early human development. Journal of Pediatrics 120, S129S138 Google Scholar
Ponder, DL, Innis, SM, Benson, JD & Siegman, JS (1992) Docosahexaenoic acid status of term infants fed breast milk or infant formula containing soy oil or corn oil. Pediatric Research 32, 683688 Google Scholar
Roberts, SA, Ball, RO, Moore, AM, Filler, RM & Pencharz, PB (2001) The effect of graded intake of glycl- l -tyrosine on phenylalanine and tyrosine metabolism in parenterally fed neonates with an estimation of tyrosine requirement. Pediatric Research 49, 111119 Google Scholar
Saigal, S, Stoskopf, BL, Streimer, DL & Burrows, E (2001) Physical growth and current health status of infants who were of extremely low birth weight and controls at adolescence. Pediatrics 108, 407415 Google Scholar
Salem N, Jr, Wegher, B, Mena, P & Uauy, R (1996) Arachidonic and docosahexaenoic acids are biosynthesized from their 18-carbon precursors in human infants. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 93, 4954 Google Scholar
Sauerwald, T, Hachey, DL, Jensen, CL, Chen, H, Anderson, RE & Heird, WC (1996) Effect of dietary α-linolenic acid intake on incorporation of docosahexaenoic and arachidonic acids into plasma phospholipids of term infants. Lipids 31, S131S135 Google Scholar
Sauerwald, TU, Hachey, DL, Jensen, CL, Chen, H, Anderson, RE & Heird, WC (1997) Intermediates in endogenous synthesis of C22:6ω3 and C20:4ω6 by term and preterm infants. Pediatric Research 41, 183187 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Torres, R, Lavastida, M, Rivera, CL, Rodriguez, H & Ortiz, A (1966) Studies on infant diarrhea. I. A comparison of the effects of milk feeding and intravenous therapy upon the composition and volume of the stool and urine. Journal of Clinical Investigation 45, 469480 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Van Goudoever, JB, Sulkers, EJ & Timmerman, N (1994) Amino acid solutions for premature infants during the first week of life: The role of N-acetyl- l -cysteine and N-acetyl- l -tyrosine. Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition 18, 404408 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wilmore, DM & Dudrick, SJ (1968) Growth and development of an infant receiving all nutrients by vein. Journal of the American Medical Association 203, 860864 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Winters, RW, Heird, WC, Dell, RB & Nicholson, JF (1977) Plasma amino acids in infants receiving parenteral. In nutrition Clinical Nutrition Update: Amino Acids, 147154 [Greene, HL, Holliday, MA and Munro, HN, editors] Chicago, IL: American Medical Association Google Scholar
Wu, PYK, Edwards, NB & Storm, MC (1986) The plasma amino acid pattern of normal term breast-fed infants. Journal of Pediatrics 109, 347349 Google Scholar