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The Relation of Manganese to Congenital Debility

Iowa Child Welfare Research Station, State University of Iowa, Iowa City

In an endeavor to determine the cause of the high infant mortality of milk-fed rats, reproduction, lactation and the manganese content of the young at birth, at weaning, and thereafter at various periods to sexual maturity have been compared in animals receiving Guernsey milk plus copper and iron, with those receiving the same ration fortified with manganese, as well as with stock fed animals. The lactating ability of the animals receiving the simple milk ration was specifically tested by exchanging their young for vigorous stock young. In a number of instances where the young of the milk-manganese low animals died, they also were given stock young to raise. Records were kept of the amount of milk consumed by each animal during lactation.

The results of the investigation point to the following conclusions:

1. The high percentage of deaths of the young of animals reared on milk diets modified with copper and iron is due to congenital debility, the result of too little manganese in the diet of the mother. Young born of these milk-fed animals were found to contain 65 per cent less manganese than the young of animals receiving a similar ration with added manganese.

2. Animals reared from weaning on a milk diet with no added manganese are able to suckle vigorous normal young to average weaning weights comparable to those of stock young or of young receiving milk with manganese added.

3. Storage of manganese in the young during the suckling period is greater than subsequently on a cow's milk ration, but less than during a subsequent period on a milk ration with 1.5 mg. of manganese per 100 cc. of milk, suggesting that rat's milk is higher in manganese than the Guernsey milk tested.

4. The milk ingestion of rats during the lactation period is not influenced by the amount of manganese the milk contains. Rats receiving the simple milk ration consumed as much milk as those receiving the milk-manganese ration.

5. The Guernsey milk tested supplied enough vitamin B for the lactating mother and the growth needs of six young.