scholarly journals Long-Term Safety and Efficacy of Prebiotic Enriched Infant Formula—A Randomized Controlled Trial

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1276
Author(s):  
Franka Neumer ◽  
Orenci Urraca ◽  
Joaquin Alonso ◽  
Jesús Palencia ◽  
Vicente Varea ◽  
...  

The present study aims to evaluate the effects of an infant formula supplemented with a mixture of prebiotic short and long chain inulin-type oligosaccharides on health outcomes, safety and tolerance, as well as on fecal microbiota composition during the first year of life. In a prospective, multicenter, randomized, double-blind study, n = 160 healthy term infants under 4 months of age were randomized to receive either an infant formula enriched with 0.8 g/dL of Orafti®Synergy1 or an unsupplemented control formula until the age of 12 months. Growth, fever (>38 °C) and infections were regularly followed up by a pediatrician. Digestive symptoms, stool consistency as well as crying and sleeping patterns were recorded during one week each study month. Fecal microbiota and immunological biomarkers were determined from a subgroup of infants after 2, 6 and 12 months of life. The intention to treat (ITT) population consisted of n = 149 infants. Both formulae were well tolerated. Mean duration of infections was significantly lower in the prebiotic fed infants (p < 0.05). The prebiotic group showed higher Bifidobacterium counts at month 6 (p = 0.006), and higher proportions of Bifidobacterium in relation to total bacteria at month 2 and 6 (p = 0.042 and p = 0.013, respectively). Stools of infants receiving the prebiotic formula were softer (p < 0.05). Orafti®Synergy1 tended to beneficially impact total daily amount of crying (p = 0.0594). Supplementation with inulin-type prebiotic oligosaccharides during the first year of life beneficially modulates the infant gut microbiota towards higher Bifidobacterium levels at the first 6 months of life, and is associated with reduced duration of infections.

2015 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. CMPed.S17841
Author(s):  
Hugo Da Costa Ribeiro Júnior ◽  
Tereza Cristina Medrado Ribeiro ◽  
Angela Peixoto De Mattos ◽  
Mariana Pontes ◽  
Roseli Oselka Saccardo Sarni ◽  
...  

Objective The aim of the current study was to evaluate the safety of a new reduced protein (2.1 g/100 kcal) infant formula containing 4 g/L of 90% galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) and 10% fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS). Methods Healthy term infants from Brazil were enrolled. Those born to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive mothers were randomized to a test ( n = 65) or control ( n = 63) formula group. Infants born to HIV-negative mothers were either exclusively breast-fed ( n = 79) or received a mixed diet (breast milk and test formula, n = 65). Between 2 weeks and 4 months of age, infants were exclusively fed according to their assigned group. Anthropometric measurements were taken at baseline, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 months. Digestive tolerance was evaluated during the first 4 months. The primary outcome was mean daily weight gain between 2 weeks and 4 months in the test formula and breast-fed groups. Results Data from all infants ( N = 272) were used in the intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis and data from 230 infants were used in the per-protocol (PP) analysis. The difference in mean daily weight gain between 2 weeks and 4 months in the test formula and breast-fed groups was 1.257 g/day (onesided 95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.705 to inf, P < 0.001) in the PP analysis, showing that the lower bound of the 95% CI was above the -3.0 g/day non-inferiority margin. Results were similar in the ITT analysis. Symptoms of digestive tolerance and frequency of adverse events were similar in the two groups. Conclusions The formula containing 2.1 g/100 kcal protein and GOS and FOS was safe and tolerated well.


Nutrients ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 3
Author(s):  
Maria Björmsjö ◽  
Olle Hernell ◽  
Bo Lönnerdal ◽  
Staffan K. Berglund

Many infant formulas are fortified with iron at 8–14 mg/L whereas breast milk contains about 0.3 mg/L. Another major difference between breast milk and infant formula is its high concentration of lactoferrin, a bioactive iron-binding protein. The aim of the present study was to investigate how reducing the iron content and adding bovine lactoferrin to infant formula affects iron status, health and development. Swedish healthy full-term formula-fed infants (n = 180) were randomized in a double-blind controlled trial. From 6 weeks to 6 months of age, 72 infants received low-iron formula (2 mg/L) fortified with bovine lactoferrin (1.0 g/L) (Lf+), 72 received low-iron formula un-fortified with lactoferrin (Lf−) and 36 received standard formula with 8 mg of iron/L and no lactoferrin fortification as controls (CF). Iron status and prevalence of iron deficiency (ID) were assessed at 4 and 6 months. All iron status indicators were unaffected by lactoferrin. At 4 and 6 months, the geometric means of ferritin for the combined low-iron groups compared to the CF-group were 67.7 vs. 88.7 and 39.5 vs. 50.9 µg/L, respectively (p = 0.054 and p = 0.056). No significant differences were found for other iron status indicators. In the low-iron group only one infant (0.7%) at 4 months and none at 6 months developed ID. Conclusion: Iron fortification of 2 mg/L is an adequate level during the first half of infancy for healthy term infants in a well-nourished population. Adding lactoferrin does not affect iron status.


Nutrients ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 3560
Author(s):  
Yvan Vandenplas ◽  
Virginie de Halleux ◽  
Małgorzata Arciszewska ◽  
Piotr Lach ◽  
Valeriy Pokhylko ◽  
...  

This study investigated growth, safety, and tolerance in healthy infants consuming a partly fermented infant formula (IF) with postbiotics, 2′-linked fucosyllactose (2′-FL), a specific prebiotic mixture of short-chain galacto-oligosaccharides (scGOS) and long-chain fructo-oligosaccharides (lcFOS), and milk fat. This double-blind, controlled trial randomised 215 fully IF-fed infants ≤ 14 days of age to either: Test Group (IF) containing 26% fermented formula with postbiotics derived from Lactofidus fermentation process (including 3′-Galactosyllactose; 3′-GL), 0.8 g/100 mL scGOS/lcFOS (9:1), 0.1 g/100 mL 2′-FL, and milk fat), or Control group (IF with 0.8 g/100 mL scGOS/lcFOS (9:1)) until 17 weeks of age. Fully breastfed infants were included as a reference. Anthropometric measures, gastrointestinal symptoms, and safety were assessed monthly. Equivalence in weight gain (primary outcome) between the Test and Control groups was confirmed (difference in means −0.08 g/day; 90% CI (−1.47;1.31)) with estimated mean weight gain (SE) of 31.00 (0.59) g/day and 31.08 (0.60) g/day, respectively, (PP population, n = 196). Equivalence in length and head circumference gain between the randomised groups was also confirmed. No statistically significant differences were observed in adverse events or gastrointestinal tolerance between randomised IF groups. A partly fermented IF with postbiotics, specific oligosaccharides, 2′-FL, and milk fat supports adequate infant growth and is safe and well-tolerated in healthy term infants.


2011 ◽  
Vol 106 (11) ◽  
pp. 1740-1748 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margriet van Stuijvenberg ◽  
Annemieke M. Eisses ◽  
Christoph Grüber ◽  
Fabio Mosca ◽  
Sertac Arslanoglu ◽  
...  

The objective of the present study was to assess the effect of adding specific prebiotics to standard formula feeding on the number of fever episodes in the first year of life. In the present randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in seven centres in five West European countries, 830 healthy term infants, without a first-degree family history of allergic disease, of mothers who indicated to give only formula feeding were randomised either to receive a standard non-hydrolysed cows' milk-based formula to which a mixture of specific oligosaccharides was added (prebiotics group (PG)), or to receive a similar formula without oligosaccharides (control group (CG)). A separate reference group consisted of 300 breast-fed infants. The primary outcome was the number of fever episodes prospectively documented by the parents. There was no difference in the number of fever episodes between the PG (median value 1·19; 25th–75th percentile 0·09–2·34) and CG (1·16; 25th–75th percentile 0·06–2·38). The median number of fever episodes in the separate breast-feeding reference group was 1·24 (25th–75th percentile 0·51–3·45). There was no effect of adding specific prebiotics to standard formula feeding in reducing the number of fever episodes in the present study.


2009 ◽  
Vol 101 (11) ◽  
pp. 1706-1713 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert A. Gibson ◽  
Denis Barclay ◽  
Helen Marshall ◽  
Julie Moulin ◽  
Jean-Claude Maire ◽  
...  

Probiotics and long-chain PUFA (LC-PUFA) may be beneficial supplements for infants who are not breast-fed. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the safety of an infant formula containing the LC-PUFA DHA and arachidonic acid (AA) and the probiotic Bifidobacterium lactis by comparing the growth rate of infants fed the supplemented and unsupplemented formulas. One hundred and forty-two healthy, term infants were enrolled in a single-centre, randomised, double-blind, controlled, parallel-group trial, and allocated to receive either standard or probiotic and LC-PUFA-containing experimental formulas. The infants were fed with their assigned formulas for 7 months. The primary outcome (weight gain) and the secondary outcomes (length, head circumference and formula tolerance) were measured throughout the study. LC-PUFA status was assessed at 4 months of age and immune response to childhood vaccines was measured at 7 months of age. There was no significant difference in growth between the two groups. The 90 % CI for the difference in mean weight gain was − 0·08, 3·1 g in the intention-to-treat population and 0·1–3·8 g in the per protocol population, which lay within the predefined boundaries of equivalence, − 3·9–3·9. There were no significant differences in mean length and head circumference. DHA and AA concentrations were higher in infants in the experimental formula group compared with the control formula group. No influence of the supplements on the response to vaccines was observed. Growth characteristics of term infants fed the starter formula containing a probiotic and LC-PUFA were similar to standard formula-fed infants.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
María Gómez-Martín ◽  
Silvia Saturio ◽  
Silvia Arboleya ◽  
David Herrero-Morín ◽  
Margot Calzón ◽  
...  

Abstract Extensive work has established the importance of the gut microbiota during the first years of life. However, there are few longitudinal studies describing the role of infants´ diet on the evolution of the fecal microbiota and their metabolic activity during this stage. The aim of this work was to explore the impact of diet on the composition of the major intestinal microorganisms and their main microbial metabolites from birth to 12 months. This is a longitudinal prospective study analyzing fecal microbiota, bacterial groups levels were determined by qPCR and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) levels by gas chromatography, as well as information from self-administered questionnaires about general characteristics and food frequency from a cohort of 83, Spanish and full-term, infants at 15, 90, 180 and 365 days of age. Results revealed that Enterobacteriaceae and Bifidobacterium decrease in weaning period contrary to Bacteroides group and Clostridium cluster IV. Furthermore, a clustering based on fecal bacterial groups, SCFAs and type of delivery and feeding, gender and living area suggested that the excretion of SCFAs is strongly related to the type of lactation. Conclusion: our study supports weaning period as a key step for gut microbiota transition and suggests the importance of the consumption of dietary fiber with the increase of certain bacterial groups as Clostridium cluster IV, which could be beneficial for the host. Finally, studies specially designed to analyze the production and the excretion of SCFAs in children are needed to understand how diet could influence in this process.


2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 453-461 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Matsuki ◽  
S. Tajima ◽  
T. Hara ◽  
K. Yahagi ◽  
E. Ogawa ◽  
...  

The objective of the study was to investigate whether an infant formula supplemented with galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS; OM55N) was able to stimulate the growth of indigenous bifidobacteria and to establish microbiota similar to that of breastfed infants. A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was performed using 35 healthy term infants (31-54 days of age; 42±6 days) to determine whether infant formula with 0.3 g/dl GOS (OM55N) stimulated the growth of bifidobacteria in the infants’ guts. At the trial onset and 2 weeks after, the infants’ faecal samples were examined for microbiota composition (bacterial abundance and α-diversity) and faecal characteristics. Among the 35 infants, 5 were withdrawn and 8 were excluded from the final evaluation before breaking the blinding since the indigenous bifidobacteria were not detected at the trial onset. After 2 weeks, the abundance of Bifidobacteriaceae was significantly increased in the GOS feeding group compared to the control (+11.6±24.1% vs -3.9±13.0%; P=0.043). The Shannon index, which accounts for both abundance and evenness of the present species, was significantly decreased with GOS supplementation (-0.1±0.4 vs +0.4±0.4; P=0.014). Faecal characteristics such as pH and organic acids were similar in both groups, with no statistical differences. No adverse side effects related to the formula consumption were reported. Although the concentration of GOS was relatively low, the infant formula with GOS increased the abundance of bifidobacteria and resulted in a reduced α-diversity of the microbiota.


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