The importance of fats and fatty acids in infant nutrition

Summary

While man can live with small amounts of dietary fat, it appears that at certain times in one's life good fat absorption is essential. In the premature infant, excessive fat loss in the stools wastes calories, may cause diarrhoea and other symptoms, and is associated with loss of certain dietary essentials. Those recognized include calcium, fat-soluble vitamins, and essential fatty acids. Similar abnormalities occur at any age in those with fat intolerance. The secondary effects of loss of these essentials can be devastating to the individual. Methods have been developed to improve fat absorption in infants not fed on human milk. These include modification of triglycerides, use of unsaturated fats and medium-chain triglycerides in fat mixtures, and administration of essentials by vein or skin. In the enthusiasm for increasing fat absorption, care must he exercised lest excessive fats, particularly unsaturated fatty acids, result in toxicity.

Key Words::

• Infant nutrition
• fats
• fatty acids