Quantification of Energy Wastage From Canola Oil Supplementation in Preterm Infants

The objective of this study was to quantify energy wasted when canola oil (CO) is added to the diet of preterm infants. Eight preterm infants were studied; gestational age ranged from 27 to 33 weeks, and birth weight ranged from 800 to 1317 g. Each infant was studied at baseline for 3 days of stool collection, at the end of which energy expenditure (EE) was measured 1 hour after meals. Each infant was then supplemented with 3 g CO/kg/d for 3 days, after which the study was repeated. Stools were collected for fat analysis. EE increased from 58 ± 6.8 to 62.4 ± 4.6 kcal/kg/24 hours after introduction of CO (P < .03). Stool fat increased from 1.37 ± 1.2 to 2.18 ± 1.2 g/kg/d. Of the fat added, 27% was lost in stools, and 17% was wasted as spent energy. The increase in EE correlated significantly with the coefficient of fat absorption (R² = 0.56, P = .029). In conclusion, the addition of CO to the diet of preterm infants leads to net energy storage of more than half of the extra energy administered and may be an inexpensive alternative to medium-chain triglyceride oil.