FAILURE TO INDUCE DIETARY DEFICIENCY OF COPPER IN PREMATURE INFANTS

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Abstract
A feeding experiment was undertaken in small premature infants to explore the possible role of a reduced intake of copper in the pathogenesis of the recently described syndrome of hypocupremia, iron-deficiency anemia, and hypoproteinemia. One group was fed milk providing about 15αg/kg/day of elemental copper, and the other group received 5 to 45 times this amount of copper in an otherwise identical diet. In the first few months there were no differences between the two groups in levels of hemoglobin nor in the concentrations of copper, iron, and proteins in the serum. In later months hypoferremia was present in both groups, but hypocupremia and anemia of the microcytic, hypochromic variety failed to appear in either group. The failure to induce copper deficiency may be related to the relatively short duration of the experiment, but more likely to the fact that the daily requirements of copper in early infancy may be satisfied by as small an intake as 15 αg/kg/day.

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