There is a paucity of information on molybdenum requirements during parenteral (TPN)and enteral nutrition in low birth weight infants. Molybdenum supplements are not normally provided during short term TPN. While molybdenum is an important component of three enzymatic systems, no cases of molybdenum deficiency has been reported in infants. To investigate the molybdenum requirements of low birth weight infants, 24 hour balance studies were performed in 16 low birth weight infants (birth weight mean 1280 g., gest. 30 weeks), prior to receiving TPN (Time 1), after 1 week on TPN (Time 2), and after one week of full enteral feeds of a premature infants formula or expressed breast milk (Time 3). No molybdenum supplements were providedand the infants received only that molybdenum that was normally present in TPN solutions, blood products, etc. The results of molybdenum are expressed in nanograms (mean ± sd). Statistical analysis was by repeated measures ANOVA. There was no statistical differences demonstrated between time periods. However, with increasing intakes of molybdenum, there was an increasing level of positive molybdenum balance: However, at Time 3, 6 of 16 infants were still in negative balance. This negative balance is in the face of a molybdemum intake (4301 ng/kg/day) which greatly exceeds the recommended daily intake of 190-380 ng/kg/day (CMAJ 152:1765, 1995). Thus the current recommended amount of molybdenum intakes for low birth weight infants may need to be reconsidered. Table

Table 1
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