How much energy does the breast fed infant consume and expend?

Abstract

Energy intake in breast fed infants is uncertain. The doubly labelled water method was used to measure, simultaneously and non-invasively, energy expenditure, energy intake, milk volume intake, energy deposition, and the energy content of breast milk in 12 "free living" breast fed babies at 5 and 11 weeks of age. The validity ofthis new approach was assessed in a parallel study in 12 formula fed infants. The babies who were exclusively breast fed expended 1-28 and 1-68 MJ/day at five and 11 weeks and had intak…