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Title: Calcium absorption in infants and small children: Methods of determination and recent findings

Author
item ABRAMS, STEVEN - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)

Submitted to: Nutrients
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/2/2010
Publication Date: 4/6/2010
Citation: Abrams, S.A. 2010. Calcium absorption in infants and small children: Methods of determination and recent findings. Nutrients. 2(4):474-480.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Determining calcium bioavailability is important in establishing dietary calcium requirements. In infants and small children, previously conducted mass balance studies have largely been replaced by stable isotope-based studies. The ability to assess calcium absorption using a relatively short 24-hour urine collection without the need for multiple blood samples, or fecal collections is a major advantage to this technique. The results of these studies have demonstrated relatively small differences in calcium absorption efficiency between human milk and currently available cow milk-based infant formulas. In older children with a calcium intake typical of Western diets, calcium absorption is adequate to meet bone mineral accretion requirements.