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We investigated whether a regular formula for premature infants (pre) supplemented with ribonucleotides (pre+RN) raises erythrocyte and plasma cholesterol ester (CE) long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs) of low-birth-weight babies (< or = 2.50 kg) compared with their breast-fed counterparts. From days 11 to 42, 31 babies received the pre formula and 37 received pre+RN. Eleven breast-fed babies served as a reference group. Erythrocytes and CE fatty acids were determined on days 11, 21, and 42. There were no differences in the courses of erythrocytes and CE fatty acids between pre formula-fed and pre+RN-fed babies. On day 42, formula-fed babies had lower erythrocytes and CE n-3 and n-6 LCPUFAs compared with breast-fed babies. Subdivision into gestational age- and body weight-matched subgroups gave similar results. RN supplementation does not augment the erythrocyte and CE LCPUFA status of formula-fed babies.

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