Method to increase the growth velocity of human infants

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method to increase the growth velocity of a human infant, said method comprising the enteral administration to said infant of recombinant human bile-salt-stimulated lipase (rhBSSL). Such method has particular utility for underweight or preterm human infants, particular those in medical need of increasing their growth velocity. The invention also relates to compositions, including infant feeds, kits, packaged-pharmaceutical-products and pharmaceutical compositions, and also to methods to prepare infant feeds. In another aspect, the present invention relates to methods to: (X) protect the small bowel mucosa of a human infant from damage; to (Y) protect an immature intestinal epithelium of a human infant from the deleterious effects of incompletely digested and/or excess fat and/or lipid; and/or to (Z) limit accumulation of incompletely digested and/or excess fat and/or lipid in the ileum of a human infant; said methods in each case comprising the step of enteral administration of rhBSSL.

1 . A method to increase the growth velocity of a human infant, said method comprising the step of enteral administration of recombinant human bile-salt-stimulated lipase to said infant.