How much is too much!

Excess protein can adversely affect the development of infants

Good nutrition is necessary to ensure that growth of the child proceeds optimally and protein, a very valuable nutrient, plays an important role in infant development. Known as the building blocks, protein is essential for the growth and maintenance of bones, muscles, blood, skin, hair and organs.

Infancy is a time of rapid growth and development. In a span of 12 months, most babies learn to sit up, start teething, crawl, begin to communicate and triple their body weight. Many parents are not aware of the exact quantity of protein their baby actually requires. What many parents fail to realise is that even for a super-nutrient like protein, “too much of a good thing is a bad thing”.

Dr Jyothy Chabria, Senior Consultant Dietician and Nutritionist, Women's Care Clinic, Delhi says, “Of late there has been a lot of research on the adverse effect of high protein intake for infants. Some research studies suggest that excess protein in the initial years will lead to higher chances of obesity in the later years.”

“A high protein intake at infancy is linked with a higher number of fat cells as the child grows and increases the release of insulin and IGF-1 (a hormone produced mainly by the liver that behaves in a similar way as insulin) .

This leads to increased weight gain and obesity which is then accompanied by a range of additional health issues such as diabetes, heart disease to name a few,” she adds. A higher than required protein intake can also have an adverse effect on a baby’s immature kidneys.

Excess protein can also lead to calcium loss, malfunction of the immune system, dehydration and weakness during periods of fever and diarrhoea. A human body does not store excess protein. Instead the body breaks it down, producing by-products that must be eliminated via the urine.

The kidneys go into overdrive, trying to flush out the build-up of ketones in the system and thus puts a great deal of strain on the kidneys of a baby. Too much protein increases blood urea, hydrogen ions, and amino acids (ie phenylalanine, tyrosine), resulting in metabolic acidosis.

This combination of metabolic disturbances may harm the developing brain. “Mother’s milk is an excellent source of nutrition that cannot be duplicated. The protein content in breast milk is dynamic. It changes according to the needs of the baby providing just the right amount of protein.

As the baby grows the protein content in the breast milk also reduces according to the need of the child.” says Dr Chabria. “The choices we make for our kids will determine how they grow up. The first 1,000 days of a child’s life are the most crucial years.

Ensuring that the child gets the best nutrition and the right amount of protein is of paramount importance. When in doubt it is important to consult with your paediatrician about the growth and development of your child,” concludes the doctor.