Plasma Osmolality and Feeding Practices of Healthy Infants in First Three Months of Life

Abstract

Plasma osmolality was measured in 60 healthy infants aged 1 to 3 months. The mean plasma osmolality in the 14 breast-fed infants (group A) was 284.3 mOsm/1. Nine infants fed artificial milk formulae alone (group B) had a mean value of 293.8 mOsm/1.; 37 infants already receiving solid foods in addition to artificial milk formulae (group C) had a mean value of 297.1 mOsm/1. The number of individual observations in the hyperosmolar range (more than 300 mOsm/1.) in groups A, B, and C were 0, 1, and 15, accounting respectively for 0%, 11.1% and 40•5% of the total number of observations in each group. These results suggest that the early introduction to solid foods and the widespread use of artificial milk formulae. © 1973, British Medical Journal Publishing Group. All rights reserved.