Lower Protein Intake and Long-term Risk of Obesity and Cardiovascular Disease

Lower Protein Intake and Long-term Risk of Obesity and Cardiovascular Disease: A Multi-centred, Randomised, Controlled Trial

The primary objective of this study is to investigate if consumption of lower protein formula can slow the rate of weight gain of formula-fed infants between 3 and 12 months of age. Secondary objectives include investigation into whether infant nutrition and growth have an impact on later risk of obesity and cardiovascular disease.

Obesity and its cardiovascular consequences are the most important causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Breastfed infants have been shown to have less cardiovascular risk factors in adulthood, which can be partially explained by their slower growth compared to formula fed infants. The primary objective of this study is to investigate if consumption of lower protein formula can slow the rate of weight gain of formula-fed infants between 3 and 12 months of age. Secondary objectives include investigation into whether infant nutrition and growth have an impact on later risk of obesity and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD), the critical windows for these programming effects, and the mechanisms of action.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Healthy term infant
• Infant is aged 14 weeks (+/- 1 week)
• Infant is exclusively formula feeding or predominantly breast-feeding at age 14 weeks

Exclusion Criteria:

• Any adverse maternal, fetal or infant medical history that may have effects on growth and/or development
• Infant born with congenital disease or malformation affecting growth and/or development
• Food allergy to any trial products (e.g. milk, soy)