US EPA

7387168 

Journal Article 

Breast milk oxalate exceeds formula oxalate 

Rockwell, G 

1998 

Yes 

Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition
ISSN: 0148-6071 

22 

1 

English 

Calcium oxalate nephrocalcinosis occurs in 10% of premature infants and is associated with persistent defects in renal function. Infants receiving formula excrete more urinary oxalate than infants fed human breast milk (Pediatrics 94:674678). We hypothesized that formula oxalate content would exceed that of breast milk and that increased oxalate excretion was a result of increased oxalate intake. Formula and breast milk oxalate was measured directly by capillary electrophoresis (CE). Aliquots of formula and breast milk were analyzed in triplicate and results confirmed by method of standard additions. Cow milk infant formulas in different lots were found to have similar oxalate concentrations and were grouped. Milk Oxalate (ppm) Formula (n=12) 1.03 ±.13 SE Breast Milk (n=8) 2.99 ±.49 Infant formulas contain significantly less oxalate than human breast milk (Two sample t test, p < .005). These results indicate that higher oxalate excretion by infants receiving formula is not due to increased oxalate intake from formula relative to breast milk. We speculate that elevated oxalate excretion in formula fed infants may be related to in vivo conversion of ascorbate to oxalate.