Abstract
The investigation made for the purpose of determining the influence on the hemapoietic system of various substances commonly used in infant feeding included a study of both rats and infants.
In the work with rats, substances recommended for infant feeding: carbohydrate milk modifiers, orange juice, tomato juice, autolyzed yeast, liver, egg yolk, Vitamin B containing extracts, and various iron and copper additions, were tested. These were fed in conjunction with milk in proportions comparable to those used in infant feeding. Unmodified milk diets including both boiled and pasteurized were included, also, for comparison. Fifty-seven animals were fed, 2 to 3 on each diet, for 6 to 18 weeks. Hemoglobin determinations (Newcomer method) were made at the beginning of experimental diet and after 7 weeks of the diet. Records of food ingestion and body weights were kept to see what relation these have to hemoglobin formation.
The results of the investigation indicated that carbohydrate milk modifiers used in infant feeding differ in their ability to bring about hemoglobin formation. In rats lactose and sucrose seemingly have no influence since hemoglobin values for those receiving milk diets with these additions were no higher than for those receiving milk alone; Dextri-Maltose, corn syrup, Vitavose, or Mellin's Food, when used at a 7% level in conjunction with milk resulted in hemoglobin values which were only slightly below the optimum. Orange juice and tomato juice, when fed at the level recommended for infants, had no effect on hemoglobin production, and the autolyzed yeast addition resulted in only slightly higher values.
The addition of iron and copper in the amounts shown to be effective in increasing the hemoglobin formation in rats was without significant influence in infants. Egg yolk in the amounts fed produced no beneficial effects on the hemoglobin in the infants studied; liver increased the hemoglobin values only slightly.
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