Longitudinal Study on Maturation Patterns of EEG Basic Waves of Infants Fed on Milk from Mothers with Low Serum Folate Levels

Abstract

Maturation patterns of the EEG basic waves of breast-fed infants were studied longitudinally from 3 months to 29 months of life with special reference to their folate status. The basic waves of EEG were divided into ten bands (I-X bands) by means of an automatic analyzer specially adapted and ‘R’ =(E% of VIII+E% of IX)/(E% of II+E% of III) was used for an index of the evaluation of maturation patterns of the EEG basic waves. Serum folate levels of lactating mothers and of infants and urinary folate of infants were estimated at the time when the EEG was examined. The maturation of the EEG basic waves, expressed as the ‘R’, was definitely delayed in infants fed on mothers' milk whose serum folate levels were below the normal range. This tendency was observed to be kept over after the weaning period.