Use of modified milk foods containing fruit pulp in infant feeding I. Effect of feeding milk foods containing mango or banana fruit pulp on the growth and general health of infants

Abstract

A feeding experiment extending over a period of four and a half months was conducted on infants aged 4 to 12 months to assess the value of half cream and low-fat milk foods containing mango or banana fruit pulp in the feeding of infants. On the basis of initial weight, haemoglobin content of blood and nutritional status, the infants were allotted to 3 groups of male infants and 3 groups of female infants. Data for the weight, nutritional status and haemoglobin content of blood were obtained at the beginning and end of the experiment for the different groups and analysed statistically. The results showed that the increases in weight and haemoglobin level of the infants receiving the milk foods containing mango or banana fruit pulp were significantly greater than those observed with infants receiving the control milk foods containing cane sugar. Infants receiving milk foods containing mango or banana fruit pulp improved in their nutritional status to a greater extent than those receiving the control milk food containing sugar.