Prebiotics protect infants against infections
Breastfeeding is the most effective dietary intervention in infants to protect against the occurrence of infections. This has been attributed to its various bioactive components and prebiotic oligosaccharides content.
The aim of the study was to assess whether the addition of prebiotics to infant formula could lower the occurrence of infections during the first 6 months of life. A prospective, randomised, double-blind and placebo-controlled study was performed in term infants with parental history of atopy. Infants received either a prebiotic-supplemented (hypo-allergenic) infant formula (with 0.8 g/dl of a mixture of galacto-oligosaccharides and long-chain inulin) or a placebo-supplemented infant formula (control) during the first
6 months of life. A total of 206 infants completed the study.
During the 6-month study, infants receiving the prebiotic formula had fewer episodes of all types of infections (upper respiratory tract, otitis media, urinary and gastrointestinal tract) (P=0.01 vs. control) and tended to have fewer upper respiratory tract infections (P=0.07 vs. control). Additionally, infants in the prebiotic group had numerically fewer infections requiring antibiotic treatment (11 episodes) than infants in the control group (22 episodes, P=0.10). The cumulative incidence of any recurring infection (incidence of having 2 or more infection episodes) and recurring respiratory tract infections was significantly lower in the prebiotic group compared to the control group (P<0.05). In a sub-group of 98 infants, stool samples were taken and prebiotic supplementation resulted in a significant increase in the numbers of bifidobacteria (median: 10.3 cfu/g of stools) compared to the control group (8.7 cfu/g of stools, P<0.0001).
To conclude, this study demonstrates the potential of prebiotic administration to decrease the risk of infections in early life.
Arslanoglu S, Moro GE, Boehm G (2007) Early supplementation of prebiotic oligosaccharides protects formula-fed infants against infections during the first 6 months of life. J. Nutr. 137: 2420-2424.
If you think this Monitor may also be of interest to your colleagues please forward them this email. They can subscribe at www.scientific-monitor.com.