| Abstract: | Infants of two groups, one of 16, one of 14 infants, who weighed less than 1.3 kg at birth (mean 1.01 +/- 0.05 kg), were studied from age 14 days until they reached 1.8 kg body weight. Infants were pair-matched for gestational age and birth weight and one member was randomly allocated to two treatment groups. Infants in group A received no calcium supplement and those in group B received calcium lactate, 800 mg/kg/24 hr hr, in divided doses with each feed. All were fed "Improved" SMA, 200 ml/kg/24 hr, 160 cal/kg/24 hr, and were given a multivitamin preparation containing 500 IU vitamin D2/dose. The infants' weekly length gain did not differ between groups (1.08 +/- 0.04 cm/week vs 1.11 +/- 0.04 cm/week; mean +/- SEM). Mean weight and head cercumference increments also were similar (group A, 163 +/- 6 g/week; 1.12 +/- 0.03 cm/week; group B, 170 +/- 6 g/week and 1.18 +/- 0.03 cm/week). An increase in blood pH from 7.33 +/- 0.01 to 7.41 +/- 0.01 (P less than 0.01) in group A babies was associated with a decrease in PCO2 from 44.2 +/- 1.0 to 38.9 +/- 1.4 mm Hg. Values remained unchanged with age in group B babies... |
