Babies born prematurely are typically given a nutrient-enriched form of infant formula to help them grow. However, a study found that these infants are more likely to have a pre-diabetic condition in adolescence.

On the contrary, researchers have also found that pre-term infants who are given extra nutrition during the rapid growth period of the first few weeks of life, helps to develop the brain and bone.

Researchers say that the risks of developing diabetes or problems in the brain and bone are likely different in individual infants. Since the evidence is conflicting, they say it's probably wise to continue feeding premature babies a nutrient-rich diet.

Additionally, researchers stressed that while the study points to risks of feeding premature infants too much, infants should not be underfed.

The study followed 216 people born prematurely and 61 people born full-term from birth until their teenage years. Half of the teens born prematurely had been fed a standard diet consisting of unsupplemented breast milk and standard, non-enriched infant formula while the others were fed a nutrient-enhanced formula designed for premature infants.

Teens born prematurely who received the nutrient-enriched diet tended to have higher levels of proinsulin than teens born prematurely who received a standard diet.

High levels of proinsulin may indicate that a person has insulin resistance, a condition that often leads to type 2 diabetes, which is associated with obesity.

Further, teens, whether born prematurely or not, who gained weight more quickly than others during the first two weeks of life also tended to have high proinsulin levels.

The reason why rapid growth during the early life of premature infants may potentially increase the risk of diabetes remains unclear, however researchers noted that factors employed during early life can have long-term effects.

The Lancet 2003;361:1089-1097

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

The sad tragedy here is that the children would likely not have been premature to begin with if their mothers had received adequate amounts of fish oil. Additionally and coincidentally, recent research has also shown that a deficiency of vitamin D during pregnancy will dramatically increase the risk of diabetes in the child. Vitamin D is ideally obtained through sunlight on your skin, but in winter months in colder climates, supplementation is required. One of the best supplements in this case is cod liver oil, as it not only contains the extremely beneficial omega-3 fats but also a healthy dose of vitamin D. Vitamin D is an oil soluble vitamin, so great care must be taken to not overdose on it. That is why it is so important to monitor your vitamin D levels. I have seen a fair number of people have toxic levels of vitamin D after using cod liver oil. On an aside, this is the time of year when most people should switch back to fish oil unless your vitamin D level has been tested and is low. The quality of the fish oil and cod liver oil is very important. A high-quality oil should be lab-tested and found to be free of mercury and other toxins. I recommend Carlson's fish oil and cod liver oil, as they conform to the strictest purity guidelines and are free from chemical modification and processing. Another problem with many of the premature children is that they are exposed to the traditional Western high-grain diet, which is a prescription for disaster as I explain in my Total Health Program. High-grain diets are one of the primary reasons why children develop myopia and wind up needing glasses. Related Articles: Working Moms-to-Be at Higher Risk of Preeclampsia Near-Sightedness Appears Linked to Excess Sugar in Diet Vitamin D Lowers Risk of Type 1 Diabetes Mom's Low Fish Intake Associated with Premature Deliveries