ABSTRACT
Questions about aspartame safety have arisen because of concern about the potential toxic effects of its constituent amino acids, aspartate and phenylalanine. Like many chemical substances, these amino acids may exert toxic effects when administered at very high dose levels, although species and age susceptibility vary greatly. Infants delivered by cesarean section were nursery reared and hand fed from birth. Each infant was weighed on a weekly basis. Once a month for the first five months, and then at two month intervals, each infant was measured with respect to crown-rump length, crown-heel length and head circumference and examined for various developmental milestones, which included extent of teething, ability to vocalize, alertness, tractability, and general behavior. Electroencephalograms were obtained on all monkeys prior to or shortly after going on the diet. Human infants with phenylketonuria fed normal diets during early development are mentally retarded.
