DIETARY-INTAKE OF AL, CA, CU, FE, PB, AND ZN IN INFANTS

The dietary intake of six elements - Al, Ca, Cu, Fe, Pb, and Zn- was measured in 39 normal healthy children aged 17-61 (mean 35.5) weeks. There was a downward trend with age in daily intake of fluid, Pb and Fe, in contrast to an increase in solid intake, Ca and Zn throughout the study. The geometric mean total daily element intake (mg) was: Al 1.12; Ca 446; Cu 0.6; Fe 4.5; Pb 0.020; Zn 2.8. The geometric mean daily element intake (mg) from milks only was as follows: Formula milk (n=14): Al 0.26; Ca 184; Cu 0.24; Fe 1.85; Pb 0.005; Zn 1.6 Cows' milk (n=6): Al 0.27; Ca 384; Cu 0.04; Fe 0.21; Pb 0.004; Zn 1.3 Breast milk (n=12): Al 0.77; Ca 116; Cu 0.15; Fe 0.38; Pb 0.012; Zn 0.4 Additionally, levels of aluminium were investigated in some packaged infant foodstuffs, including four soya milk formulae. The soya-based formulae had a mean concentration of 1.09+/-0.37 mug/g, which was not significantly different from the mean of 0.83+/-0.28 mug/g for six cows' milk formulae.