The role of fresh cow's milk in iron deficiency. I. Albumin turnover in infants with iron deficiency anemia
Woodruff, C.W.; Clark, J.L.
American Journal of Diseases of Children 124(1): 18-23
1972
ISSN/ISBN: 0002-922X PMID: 5068043 Document Number: 48891
1. The rate of loss of albumin-131I from the body was measured by whole-body counting in 6 haematologically normal and in 12 iron-deficient infants 7 to 17 months old fed on fresh cow's milk. In 7 of the deficient infants the loss was about double that in normal infants. Treatment with iron-dextran by muscle had no effect on rate of loss but replacing the fresh milk with evaporated milk or a soya bean formula reduced the rate of loss within 2 to 3 days. Serum Cu was low in the 7 infants with rapid albumin loss but was restored to normal by treatment with Fe. Serum albumin was slightly lower than normal in all the anaemic infants and was not affected by Fe or by the reduced rate of loss associated with the change in diet.It was concluded that pasteurised cow's milk may cause enteropathic changes which result in a deficiency of Fe and Cu and an increased rate of loss of albumin from the gut.