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Age and copper intake do not affect copper absorption, measured with the use of ⁶⁵Cu as a tracer, in young infants^1,2,3

¹ From the Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology, University of Chile, Santiago (MO, FP, and RU); the Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis (BL); and the US Department of Agriculture/Agricultural Research Service Children’s Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston (SAA).

Background: Copper homeostasis involves a high degree of regulation in which changes in absorption and biliary excretion are the main mechanisms. Whether neonates and small infants can make these changes efficiently is unknown.

Objective: We evaluated the effect of age and copper intake on copper absorption in infants during the first 3 mo of life.

Design: Thirty-nine healthy infants (19 infants aged 1 mo and 20 infants aged 3 mo) were selected. One-half of the subjects were randomly assigned to receive oral supplementation of 80 mg Cu (as copper sulfate) · kg body wt^-1 · d^-1 for 15 d. At the end of the trial, copper absorption was measured by using orally administered ⁶⁵Cu as a tracer and fecal monitoring of recovered ⁶⁵Cu.

Results: Mean (± SD) copper absorption at 1 mo of age was 83.6 ± 5.8% and 74.8 ± 9.1% for the unsupplemented and supplemented infants, respectively. The corresponding figures at 3 mo of age were 77.6 ± 15.2% and 77.7 ± 11.3%. A two-way analysis of variance showed that age, copper supplementation, and the interaction between age and copper supplementation did not have a significant effect on copper absorption. There was an inverse correlation between total fecal copper and the percentage of ⁶⁵Cu absorption (r = -0.50, P < 0.003).

Conclusion: Copper absorption in young infants is high but does not respond to copper intake within the range tested.

Key Words: Copper absorption • human milk • infants • copper supplementation • 65Cu

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