no 



Scientific Proceedings (58). 



the supplementary feeding of a milk mixture similar to colostrum. 

 The infants were able to take the extra feedings without any 

 disturbances of digestion. 



Mr. Frank Gephart, of the physiological laboratory, made 

 analyses of five specimens of second- and third-day colostrum and 

 found the utilizable heat value averaged 65 calories per 100 c.c- 

 While the food value of the colostrum is great, our own observa- 

 tions and many reports from the literature show that the average 

 amount of breast secretion is 14 c.c. on the first day, 77 c.c. on the 

 second day, 173 c.c. on the third day and from that time on gradu- 

 ally increasing to 372 c.c. on the sixth day, hardly, in the first 

 three days at least, an amount that would give the infant much 

 nourishment. 



With the respiration apparatus of Benedict connected to an 

 airtight chamber placed within a Freas electric constant tem- 

 perature incubator of special construction, the carbon dioxide 

 eliminated and the oxygen absorbed were measured under proper 

 temperature conditions. 



Nineteen observations were made on six newborn infants 

 varying in age from 6 hours to 12 days. From the results were 

 obtained the respiratory quotients and by the indirect method, 

 using the method of Zuntz and Schumberg, the heat production 

 was calculated. 



Summary of the Results. 



The respiratory quotient reaches as high as 1.0 on the first day 

 of life and indicates the combustion of carbohydrates. There- 

 after it drops to 0.67 on the second day and remains in the neigh- 

 borhood of 0.70 for the following two days indicating a condition of 

 starvation and the combustion of fat. After the milk secretion is 

 well established the quotient reaches 0.90, which is the normal for 

 a mixed diet. 



The average food requirement for combustion alone during the 

 first four days of life for a large infant weighing 4.5 kg. is 1.7 

 calories per kilogram per hour; and for a small infant weighing 

 3 kg. is 2.0 calories per kilogram per hour. 



Comparing the calories per 100 c.c. of samples of colostrum 

 with this requirement it is evident that the infants would have to 



