RESEARCH STUDIES EFFECTS OF SOY BABY FORMULA ON INTESTINAL DEVELOPMENT

URBANA, Ill. -- Two studies by University of Illinois food science and human nutrition professor Sharon Donovan show that the soy isoflavone genistein, in amounts present in commercial soy infant formulas, may inhibit intestinal cell growth in babies. So what are we to think about soy in a baby's diet?

Donovan said it's an important question to ask because almost 25 percent of formula-fed babies in the United States consume soy formula. Although babies on soy formula appear to grow normally, these formulas contain very high concentrations of genistein, from 32 to 45 milligrams, which is higher than the amount found to affect menstrual cycles in women, she said.

"I'm struck by the fact that these babies are receiving isoflavones at such high concentrations," Donovan said.

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BABY FORMULA WITH FISH OIL ADDED MAY HELP INFANTS

Scientists report that adding long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids -- typically found in fish oil -- to baby formula may help infants better regulate their blood sugar and make more proteins in their muscle cells. These results may help make better decisions when dealing with pre-term birth, low-birth weight, and feeding of infants in intensive care.

Although infant formula is now considered nutritionally acceptable for infants under the age of one year, its composition is not a perfect match with breast milk, so the nutritional content of infant formula is regularly refined. Recent improvements include the addition of long-chain n-3 fatty acids, which can improve brain and visual development.

To better understand the role of these n-3 fatty acids in the early development of babies,

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SIMPLE LASERS USED TO DETECT MELAMINE IN BABY FORMULA

With equipment readily available to health officials and businesses, a Purdue University researcher has found a way to detect trace amounts of melamine in infant formula. Using infrared lasers and light spectroscopy methods, Lisa Mauer, an associate professor of food science, was able to detect melamine in baby formula at one part per million in about five minutes or less. Melamine, a synthetic chemical used in plastics and other products, has been found in baby formula and other milk-based products imported from China. High doses of melamine were associated with cancer in some animals, and it is especially dangerous for infants, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"We have found detection methods that are inexpensive and do not require a lot of the product or time for sampling," said Mauer.

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ANXIOUS PARENTS MISDIAGNOSE MILK FORMULA INTOLERANCE

Some parents may be unnecessarily switching infant milk formulas for their healthy infants. A new study found that many parents misinterpret common baby behaviors as milk intolerance and needlessly switch formulas without consulting a health professional.

The team of researchers, led by Dr. Carol Lynn Berseth of Mead Johnson Nutrition, Indiana, USA, found that up to half of formula-fed infants experience a formula change during the first six months of life.

The randomized study, carried out in 335 healthy term infants, was designed to test the hypothesis that there is no advantage in choosing a partially hydrolyzed protein formula as a first-choice for most healthy infants.

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BABY MILK FORMULA MAKES CHILDREN FAT, STUDY FINDS

Research published recently in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has delivered another blow to the reputation of baby milk formula. It shows how consumption of the synthetic product as a baby can cause increased obesity later in childhood.

The British scientists found how body fat mass in five to eight-year-olds was between 22 and 38 percent higher in those who had been given the formula compared to breast-fed infants. Researchers speculated that the children took in more calories at an early age, which altered their metabolism.

The study was led by Atul Singhal, a professor from the University College London. He said: "This study supports the case in the general population for breastfeeding since it is harder to overfeed a breastfed baby."

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