Patent Application
20060188614
The present invention relates to a method and bottle for infant feeding by non-human milk and, more particularly, to a method for infant feeding by non-human milk that mimics breast fore- and hind-milk feeding and a bottle for effecting the method.
Most researchers and authorities agree that under normal conditions exclusive breast feeding provides substantially an adequate amount of most nutrients for infants for at least four months. Breast fed infants have advantages in terms of general health. They have a more effective immune system and are therefore less sensitive to infections, such as but not limited to, ears, lungs and intestinal infections, they achieve faster mental development and their body composition comprises less fat. Also, there are indications that breast feeding achieves better future health of the child and the adult. For example, breast fed children are less prone to develop juvenile diabetes, heart diseases, obesity, etc. For further advantages of breast feeding the reader is referred to Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 40:635-646, 1984, which is incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.
It has been found that in the course of the breast feeding the infant is fed initially with milk having a smaller percentage of fat, which is known in the art as fore-milk, and thereafter with milk having a larger percentage of fat, which is known in the art as hind-milk. To this effect the reader is referred to J. of Ped. and Gastro. and Nutr. 181474-477, 1994, which is incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.
In attempts to become as close as possible to breast feeding, formula producers invest a lot of effort in improving the composition of so-called “humanized milk”. It has been found that formula fed infants tend to eat more calories and protein and to grow faster than breast fed infants. However, whereas in the past the rate of growth was perceived as an indication of good nutritional status, in recent years it became clear that facilitated growth is not necessarily advantageous to the present and future health of the child. To this effect the reader is referred to Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 58:152-161, 1993, and J. of Ped. and Gastro. and Nutr. 18:474-477, 1994, which are incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.
In view of the above research, it has become desirable to develop a method of feeding infants that provides a gradual increase of fat content that is similar to that of the breast feeding.
The advantage of the gradual method is assumed to be, inter alia, better compatibility between the infant's requirements and consumption. Infants, who consume mostly the fore-milk which is lower in fat content, will get more of the high carbohydrate low protein formula as the result of which they will get more protein which is spared (by carbohydrates) mainly for true growth of the infant, e.g., body length, without being satisfied for prolonged times and without over consumption of calories from fat. Bigger and stronger babies who spend and require more energy, will get at the beginning more carbohydrate and protein, and later on more calories, but not as much protein, from extra suckling, as the fat content of the formula increases along the feeding session in, for example, a logarithmic or geometric manner.
There is thus a widely recognized need for, and it would be highly advantageous to have, a method for infant feeding by non-human milk which mimics breast fore- and hind-milk feeding, and a bottle for effecting the method.
According to the present invention there is provided a method for feeding an infant by non-human milk.
According to further features in preferred embodiments of the invention described below, the method comprising the steps of (a) feeding the infant by fore-milk equivalent having a volume of, for example, 30-60% of a total meal and a percentage of fat of, for example, 2.5-3.5%; and (b) feeding the infant by hind-milk equivalent having a volume of, for example, 40-70% of the total meal and a percentage of fat of, for example, 3.7-5.5%.
According to still further features in the described preferred embodiments the feeding is performed either by feeding the fore-milk equivalent and the hind-milk equivalent one after another or by first feeding the fore-milk equivalent which is gradually admixed with the hind-milk equivalent.
According to still further features in the described preferred embodiments the percentage of the fore-milk equivalent in the total meal volume is 31-47% and the fat content therein is 2.8-3.3%, and the percentage of the hind-milk equivalent in the total meal volume is 53-67% and the fat content therein is 4.5-5%.
According to still further features in the described preferred embodiments the percentage of the fore-milk equivalent in the total meal is 40% and the fat content therein is 3%, and the percentage of the hind-milk equivalent in the total meal volume is 60% and the fat content therein is 4.8%.
According to still further features in the described preferred embodiments the feeding is performed in two bottles, one being filled with the fore-milk equivalent and one being filled with the hind-milk equivalent, the contents of the bottles being forwarded one after the other.
According to still further features in the described preferred embodiments the feeding is performed with a bottle which is divided into two compartments, one being filled with the fore-milk equivalent and the other with the hind-milk equivalent, the bottle being designed in such a manner enabling the infant to consume at first the fore-milk equivalent and thereafter the fore-milk equivalent gradually admixed with the hind-milk equivalent.
According to another embodiment provided is a bottle for feeding an infant, which is suitable for effecting the feeding method herein described.
According to still further features in the described preferred embodiments the bottle comprising first and second compartments and being designed in such a manner enabling the infant to consume at first a content being held in the first compartment and thereafter admixing same with a content being held in the second compartment.
The present invention successfully addresses the shortcomings of the presently known configurations by providing a method and bottle for infant feeding by non-human milk which mimics breast fore- and hind-milk feeding.
The invention herein described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings; wherein:
The present invention is of a method for infant feeding by non-human milk and of a bottle for effecting the method, which can be used for mimicking breast fore- and hind-milk feeding. Specifically, the present invention can be used to gradually increase the fat content fed to the infant along a feeding session and thereby to mimic the natural case in which low fat fore milk followed by higher fat hind milk are fed to the infant.
The principles and operation of a method and bottle according to the present invention may be better understood with reference to the drawings and accompanying descriptions.
Before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments or of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
Thus, the present invention is of a method for gradual feeding of infants by non-human milk “infant formula”, wherein milk (fore-milk equivalent) having a volume of, for example, 30-60% of a total meal and a percentage of fat of, for example, 2.5-3.5%, and milk (hind-milk equivalent) having a volume of, for example, 40-70% of the total meal and a percentage of fat of, for example, 3.7-5.5% are fed to the infant. A meal may have a total volume of, for example, 30-300 ml, depending on infant's intake, age, weight, etc.
The tern “milk equivalent” a used herein in the specification and in the claims section below refers to any human milk substitute used to feed infants. The substitute may be milk based or non-milk based (e.g., soy based). The terms “fore-milk equivalent” and “hind-milk equivalent” therefore refer to milk substitutes, as this term defined herein, which are similar or compatible at least in their fat content and/or other ingredients to human fore and hind milk, respectively.
According to the present invention feeding is performed either by feeding fore-milk equivalent and hind-milk equivalent one after another or alternatively by first feeding fore-milk equivalent which is gradually admixed with the hind-milk equivalent.
The percentage of the fore-milk equivalent in the total meal volume is preferably, 31-47%, advantageously 40%; and the fat content therein is preferably 2.8-3.3%, advantageously 3%.
The percentage of the hind-milk equivalent in the total meal volume is preferably 53-67%, advantageously 60%; and the fat content therein is preferably 4.5-5%, advantageously 4.8%.
The several formulas to be fed by the method according to the present invention may be prepared, e.g., by dissolving in water a dry powder having the adequate formulation to achieve the correct content. The dissolving operation may be made either directly in the bottle or in a factory or the like where a large formulations is prepared and/or marketed as ready to feed liquid formula.
Milk base formulations according to the present invention may include the following ingredients: lactose, vegetable oils, skimmed milk powder, whey protein concentrate, Sodium, Calcium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Chloride, Iron, Magnesium, Taurine and Vitamins.
Soy base formulations according to the present invention may include the following ingredients: Glucose syrup, vegetable oils, soy protein isolate, Sucrose, Maltodextrine, Sodium, Calcium, Phosphorus, Potassium, chloride, Iron, Magnesium, Vitamins, Methionine, Taurine, Carnitine, and trace element.
Detailed composition of presently preferred soy and milk-based formulations of fore- and hind-milk equivalents are given in the Examples section hereinbelow.
The method according to the present invention may be performed by feeding with two separate bottles or a dual chamber bottle (as described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,593,052; 5,611,776; 5,419,445; 4,971,211, which are incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein), i.e., by feeding fore-milk equivalent and hind-milk equivalent separately one after another, or with one combination bottle enabling the gradual admixing of hind-milk equivalent into fore-milk equivalent.
When the method is performed with two bottles (or a dual chamber bottle) each bottle (or chamber) is filled with one of the formulations. In this case at first the bottle (or chamber) containing the fore-milk equivalent is fed and thereafter the bottle (or chamber) containing the hind-milk equivalent. By this method the bottles utilized are conventional bottles for feeding infants.
Preferably, the method is performed by feeding with one combination bottle which is divided into two compartments, one being filled with fore-milk equivalent and the second one with hind-milk equivalent, the bottle being designed in such a manner enabling the infant to consume at first the fore-milk equivalent which is thereafter gradually admixed with the hind-milk equivalent.
The combination bottles that enable the feeding of infants by the method claimed and described herein are also within the scope of the present invention.
The bottle shown in
The bottle shown in
The present invention will now, be illustrated with reference to the following examples and to the accompanying drawings without being restricted by them.
The formulation comprises the following ingredients: lactose, vegetable oils, skimmed milk powder, whey protein concentrate, Sodium, Calcium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Chloride, Iron, Magnesium, Taurine and Vitamins. A special formulation is given hereunder:
The powder described herein is suitable for the preparation of the regular liquid formula. Similar powders having less or more fat content (see row 2) may be used for the preparation of the fore- and hind-milk equivalents, respectively.
The formulation comprises the following ingredients: Glucose syrup, vegetable oils, soy protein isolate, Sucrose, Maltodextrine, Sodium, Calcium, Phosphorus, Potassium, chloride, Iron, Magnesium, Vitamins, Methionine, Taurine, Camitine, and trace element. A special formulation is given hereunder:
The powder described herein is suitable for the preparation of the regular liquid formula. Similar powders having less or more fat content (see row 2) may be used for the preparation of the fore- and hind-milk equivalents, respectively.
Although the invention has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments thereof, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, it is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and broad scope of the appended claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 119982 | Jan 1997 | IL | national |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 09887028 | Jun 2001 | US |
| Child | 11405643 | Apr 2006 | US |
| Parent | 09341266 | Jul 1999 | US |
| Child | 09887028 | Jun 2001 | US |
