High Calorie/Osmolar Feeding and Hypertonic Dehydration

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Abstract
Analysis of the sodium content of milk taken from bottles brought by mothers to feed their babies while waiting in the postnatal clinic indicates that the tendency to use excessive amounts of milk powder in feeds is widespread. The effects of high solute/calorie feeding on osmolar loading, water intake, and urinary volume, and its potential risk are discussed. In 3 cases of hypertonic dehydration the feeds given to the infants had contained excess calories and solute, because heaped scoops of milk powder instead of the recommended level measures had been used in preparing the formula.