Carbohydrate as nutrient in the infant and child: range of acceptable intake

Abstract

Carbohydrates are the major source of energy for humans. Following their digestion, almost all ingested carbohydrates are converted to glucose. Glucose is the primary oxidative fuel for the brain. Although few studies have been done in infants and children to de®ne the upper and lower limits of carbohydrate intake, such information may be derived from the published data on glucose metabolism in vivo. The upper and lower limits are determined by the need to provide for total energy expenditure, need for other essential nutrients such as protein and fats, requirements of the glucose dependent tissues such as the brain, and the need to minimize the protein cost of gluconeogenesis and thus irreversible loss of nitrogen. With these considerations, the upper and lower boundaries of carbohydrate intake in relation to age are described.

Endogenous glucose production from infancy to adulthood: a non-linear regression model

“…Our findings regarding EGP in older children, adolescents and adults correspond well with previously reported data on the EGP values in these age groups 10 30–38. Furthermore, calculated EGP by our model remarkably resembles the estimated rates of cerebral glucose usage in humans reported by Kalhan and Kilic 39. These results align with the previously reported strong correlation between EGP and estimated brain weight,10 confirming that the glucose requirement per kg bodyweight depends largely on the ratio between body weight and estimated brain weight.…”

Sweet and Sour Aspects of Medium-Chain Acyl CoA Dehydrogenase Deficiency

“…Blood glucose and ammonia concentrations normalized but metabolic acidosis remained when 6.5 mg/kg/min glucose was infused. This is above the average glucose utilization of 5 mg/kg/min of normal term newborns [6] ! Does it reflect the intracellular state, for instance an 'intoxication' due to fatty acids and their metabolites?…”

Diet, behaviour and cognition in children

“…It is possible that children, rather than adults, may be more susceptible to the provision of glucose: in relation to their bodies, the brain is larger and a given weight of brain tissue from a child uses more glucose (Kalhan and Kilic, 1999). The use of glucose by brain tissue increases up to four years of age and a high rate of glucose utilization continues until about ten years of age, after which it then falls to reach adult values in the late teenage years (Chugani, 1998).…”