HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Olivares, M. Articles by Uauy, R. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Olivares, M. Articles by Uauy, R. Agricola Articles by Olivares, M. Articles by Uauy, R.

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

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. Domellof, O. Hernell, S. A Abrams, Z. Chen, and B. Lonnerdal Iron supplementation does not affect copper and zinc absorption in breastfed infants Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, January 1, 2009; 89(1): 185 - 190. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. Lonnerdal Intestinal regulation of copper homeostasis: a developmental perspective Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, September 1, 2008; 88(3): 846S - 850S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. Uauy, A. Maass, and M. Araya Estimating risk from copper excess in human populations Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, September 1, 2008; 88(3): 867S - 871S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. Giles and L. W. Doyle Copper in Extremely Low-birthweight or Very Preterm Infants NeoReviews, April 1, 2007; 8(4): e159 - e164. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Araya, S. L Kelleher, M. A Arredondo, W. Sierralta, M. T. Vial, R. Uauy, and B. Lonnerdal Effects of chronic copper exposure during early life in rhesus monkeys Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, May 1, 2005; 81(5): 1065 - 1071. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. A. Bauerly, S. L. Kelleher, and B. Lonnerdal Effects of copper supplementation on copper absorption, tissue distribution, and copper transporter expression in an infant rat model Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol, May 1, 2005; 288(5): G1007 - G1014. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]