Researchers Study Loss of Vitamin C in Various Baby Bottles

A group of researchers at the University of Nevada-Reno (Reno, Nevada), led by Dr. Jimi Francis, conducted a study, "Comparative Analysis of Nutrients in Baby Milk Using Varied Milk Delivery Systems." The study measured the level of nutrient loss using HPLC methods during simulated baby bottle feedings and has found that some bottle types resulted in significant loss of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) during a typical 20-min feeding. The researchers examined human milk as well as two types of infant formula. The milks were delivered through seven different major brand baby bottles with five samples collected from each bottle: baseline, 5 min, 10 min, 15 min, and 20 min. Each sample was analyzed for vitamin C using normal-phase HPLC and each collection was completed in triplicate to ensure the consistency of results. The results suggest that the amount of air within a bottle, bottle design, and the impact on vitamin C levels warrant closer examination.