| abstract |
Infant foods suitable for use in the feeding of low birthweight infants, more especially preterm infants, are disclosed. The foods contain a relatively high level of vitamin B2 and may be prepared so as to have an opacity greater than that of human breast milk leading to less susceptibility of the vitamin B2 to breakdown by UV-light when used for the feeding of low birthweight infants who are receiving phototherapy. Preferred infant foods according to the invention also have high contents of vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, folic acid, copper and zinc while containing no added iron. Another aspect of the invention is the inclusion of taurine and carnitine. One unexpected property of the infant foods according to the invention with high vitamin content is that their use has been found to reduce the incidence of hyperbilirubinaemia in low birthweight infants. |