Further observations on the metabolism of galactose in infants and children

Sugars in the Blood and Urine of Children Following the Ingestion of Disaccharides

“…This is in conflict with the conclusions of Hartmann, Grunwaldt and James (1953) who stated that galactose formed up to 40% of the total blood sugar in infants after milk feedings. Dormandy, Leak and Grant (1959) reached similar conclusions to those of Hartmann et al (1953), although employing different analytical methods. It should be pointed out, however, that these two groups of workers only concluded that the bloods they examined contained large amounts of galactose because of the difference between the total sugar and the glucose.…”

“…If the load of galactose entering the liver by the portal vein is too great for that organ to metabolize, some of the sugar will escape into the systemic circulation and because there is no renal threshold for galactose (Hartmann, McCoy, Swarm and Nakasato, 1954), it will be excreted. Rowe (1924) found that 30 g. was the maximum dose of galactose that could be ingested by adults without galactose appearing in the urine.…”

Patterns of Serum Glucose and Galactose Concentrations in Term Newborn Infants after Milk Feeding

“…Early metabolic studies of galactose and glucose were hampered by the use of timeconsuming and nonspecific measurements to estimate galactose concentrations [6,7], Rapid and specific enzymatic determina tions for galactose and glucose have now become available, permitting rapid analysis of blood galactose using very small blood samples. The goal of the present study was to define the normal patterns of blood galactose and glucose concentrations following a milk feeding in term infants, as a reflection of the comparative metabolism of these two carbo hydrates ingested in equal amounts follow ing hydrolysis of dietary lactose.…”