The administration of currently evaluated prebiotic-supplemented formulae to healthy infants does not raise safety concerns with regard to growth and adverse effects .
Some favourable clinical effects are possible , primarily stool softening , which may be beneficial in some infants .
Currently , there is no existing robust evidence to recommend the routine use of prebiotic-supplemented formulae .
In 2011 , the Committee on Nutrition of the European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology , Hepatology and Nutrition systematic ally review ed published evidence related to the safety and health effects of the administration of formulae supplemented with pro- and /or prebiotics compared with unsupplemented formulae .
Effects of short-chain fructooligosaccharides on faecal bifidobacteria and specific immune response in formula-fed term infants: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of an infant formula supplemented with short-chain fructooligosaccharides ( scFOS ) on faecal concentration of bifidobacteria .  Sixty-one healthy formula-fed infants participated in this double-blind controlled trial and were r and omized to receive either the scFOS-supplemented formula ( 4 g/L scFOS ) or the placebo-supplemented formula ( 4 g/L maltodextrins ) until the age of 4 mo . Stool sample s were analyzed for bifidobacteria at enrolment and at the age of 2 and 3 mo and for antipoliovirus IgA at the age of 4 mo . Parents completed a question naire to assess digestive tolerance . Change in faecal bifidobacteria after 2 mo were higher with scFOS compared to the placebo . At 4 mo , specific IgA tended to be higher with the scFOS group than with the placebo . Somatic growth and digestive tolerance were similar between groups . This study confirms that scFOS-supplemented formula can increase the concentration of faecal bifidobacteria while being well tolerated
The administration of currently evaluated prebiotic-supplemented formulae to healthy infants does not raise safety concerns with regard to growth and adverse effects .
Some favourable clinical effects are possible , primarily stool softening , which may be beneficial in some infants .
Currently , there is no existing robust evidence to recommend the routine use of prebiotic-supplemented formulae .
In 2011 , the Committee on Nutrition of the European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology , Hepatology and Nutrition systematic ally review ed published evidence related to the safety and health effects of the administration of formulae supplemented with pro- and /or prebiotics compared with unsupplemented formulae .