An infant formula closer to breast milk

PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 28 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers suggest infant formulas with protein hydrolysate may be closer to breast milk.

Researchers at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia examined the effects on weight gain of two different types of infant formulas: cow's milk-based and protein hydrolysate-based formulas containing pre-digested proteins fed to infants who cannot tolerate the intact proteins in other formulas.

Since pre-digested proteins are thought to act in the intestine to initiate the end of a meal in adults, study authors hypothesized infants fed protein hydrolysate formulas would eat less.

The study, published online in the journal Pediatrics, found the protein hydrolysate infants gained weight at a slower rate than infants fed the cow milk formula. However, length did not differ between the two groups.

"One of the reasons the protein hydrolysate infants had similar growth patterns to breastfed infants, who are the gold standard, is that they consumed less formula during a feed as compared to infants fed cow's milk formula," lead author Julie Mennella said in a statement. "The next question to ask is: Why do infants on cow's milk formula overfeed?"

Mennella and colleagues randomly assigned infants whose parents had already decided to bottle feed either a cow's milk-based formula -- 35 infants -- or a protein hydrolysate formula -- 24 infants -- for seven months. Both formulas contained the same calorie amounts. Feeding continued until the babies signaled they were full. Infants were weighed monthly in the laboratory.