Lipid composition for improving body composition during catch-up growth

Abstract

The invention relates to nutritional compositions comprising specifically designed lipid globules that are especially suited for preterm infants, small for gestational age infants and infants with retarded growth due to physical or mental stress after birth, for promoting catch-up growth and/or for use in improving body composition, improving adipose tissue distribution, decreasing visceral adipose tissue based on body weight and/or on total adipose tissue, and/or decreasing the ratio visceral adipose tissue to subcutaneous adipose tissue, in such infants, and/or providing nutrition to such infants.

1 .- 16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . A method for improving adipose tissue distribution in an infant selected from the group consisting of preterm infants, small for gestational age infants and infants with retarded growth due to physical or mental stress after birth, the method compositing administering to the infant a nutritional composition comprising lipid present in lipid globules having:
 (a) a volume-weighted mode diameter of at least 1.0 mm; and   (b) a phospholipid coating, wherein the nutritional composition comprises at least 0.5 wt. % phospholipids based on total lipid,   wherein the nutritional composition further comprises 2.1 to 4.1 g protein per 100 kcal and 1.7 to 3.3 g protein per 100 ml.   
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein improving adipose tissue distribution occurs during or directly after catch-up growth. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein the lipid globules have a volume-weighted mode diameter of at least 1.0 μm. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein the lipid globules have a volume-weighted mode diameter of 3.0 to 8.0 μm. 
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein the phospholipids are derived from milk. 
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein the infant is small for gestational age infant. 
     
     
         23 . The method according to  claim 22 , wherein the infant is an intrauterine growth restricted infant. 
     
     
         24 . The use according to  claim 17 , wherein the nutritional composition comprises 0.3 to 0.7 wt. % arachidonic acid, based on total lipid. 
     
     
         25 . An infant formula having a caloric density between 50 to 200 kcal per 100 ml, and comprising:
 (i) 4.4 to 6.0 g lipid per 100 kcal lipid;   (ii) 2.1 to 4.1 g protein per 100 kcal and 1.7 to 3.3 g per 100 ml;   (iii) 10 to 12 g carbohydrates per 100 kcal,   wherein the lipid is present in lipid globules, having:
 (a) a volume-weighted mode diameter of at least 1.0 μm; and 
 (b) a phospholipid coating, wherein the composition comprises at least 0.5 wt. % phospholipids based on total lipid. 
   
     
     
         26 . The infant formula according to  claim 25 , wherein the infant formula is selected from the group consisting of a preterm formula, a low birthweight formula or a paediatric formula for catch-up growth. 
     
     
         27 . The infant formula according to  claim 26 , which is a preterm formula or a low birthweight formula, comprising 2.6 to 3.4 g protein per 100 kcal and 1.7 to 3.1 g protein per 100 ml. 
     
     
         28 . The infant formula according to  claim 26 , which is a paediatric formula for catch-up growth, comprising 2.4 to 2.8 g protein per 100 kcal and 1.7 to 3.1 g protein per 100 ml. 
     
     
         29 . The infant formula according to  claim 25 , comprising 0.3 to 0.7 wt. % arachidonic acid, based on total lipid. 
     
     
         30 . The infant formula according to  claim 25 , comprising 0.3 to 0.5 wt. % docosahexaenoic acid, based on total lipid. 
     
     
         31 . A method for providing nutrition to an infant selected from the group consisting of preterm infants, small for gestational age infants and infants with retarded growth due to physical or mental stress after birth, comprising administering to the infant a nutritional composition according to  claim 25 .