Essential Fatty Acids in Infant Nutrition

Abstract

The Caloric intake was measured on 18 healthy infants under 4 months of age who, for one to 28 weeks, were fed on one or several of 12 different types of milk. The linoleic acid intake ranged from <0.1% to 8.0% of the total Calories. The diets very low in linoleic acid were given on 13 different occasions to 12 of the infants and in every instance the intake was above 125 Cal./kg/day. When linoleic acid as the ester, triglyceride or in a natural fat was present in the diet, on 31 occasions in 18 different infants in all but 6 instances the intake was less than 125 Cal./kg/day. In spite of differences of 20 to 40% in Caloric intake the slope of the weight curve did not change in the majority of the infants studied. On the basis of the data presented it appears that in young infants optimum Caloric efficiency is attained when linoleic acid comprises about 4% of the Caloric intake.