Formula-Fed Babies May Metabolize Drugs Faster - PakTribune Formula-Fed Babies May Metabolize Drugs Faster
Wednesday April 16, 2003 (0056 PST)


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ISLAMABAD, April 16 (Online): Bottle-fed babies may need higher doses of certain medications than those who are breast-fed because formula causes their bodies to metabolize the drugs more quickly, Canadian researchers report.

Doctors have observed that formula-fed premature infants who are given oral caffeine to treat a condition known as neonatal apnea have consistently lower blood concentrations of the drug than breast-fed babies. Apnea causes the infants to stop breathing for short periods; caffeine, a stimulant, helps regulate respiration.

In search of an explanation for the difference, the researchers compared the effects of breast milk and two brands of canned liquid baby formula derived from cow's milk on human liver cells in the lab. The liver metabolizes medicines.