Differences were potentially attributable to differences in infant risk , prebiotic formulation or measurement of eczema .
There is insufficient evidence to determine the role of prebiotic supplementation of infant formula for prevention of allergic disease and food hypersensitivity .
Further trials are needed to determine whether this finding persists over a longer period of time , applies to other manifestations of allergic disease , is associated with reductions in allergen sensitisation , and is reproducible
BACKGROUND The composition of the intestinal microflora may be different in individuals with atopic eczema from those without this condition , and such differences may precede the development of eczema .
Prebiotics are nondigestible food components that benefit the host by selectively stimulating the growth or activity of non-pathogenic bacteria in the colon .
Prebiotics ( commonly oligosaccharides ) added to infant feeds have the potential to prevent sensitisation of infants to dietary allergens .
OBJECTIVES To determine the effect of prebiotics given to infants for the prevention of allergic disease or food hypersensitivity .
Quantitative Real-Time PCR Assays To Identify and Quantify Fecal Bifidobacterium Species in Infants Receiving a Prebiotic Infant Formula
ABSTRACT A healthy intestinal microbiota is considered to be important for priming of the infants ' mucosal and systemic immunity . Breast-fed infants typically have an intestinal microbiota dominated by different Bifidobacterium species . It has been described that allergic infants have different levels of specific Bifidobacterium species than healthy infants . For the accurate quantification of Bifidobacterium adolescentis , Bifidobacterium angulatum , Bifidobacterium bifidum , Bifidobacterium breve , Bifidobacterium catenulatum , Bifidobacterium dentium , Bifidobacterium infantis , and Bifidobacterium longum in fecal sample s , duplex 5′ nuclease assays were developed . The assays , targeting rRNA gene intergenic spacer regions , were vali date d and compared with conventional PCR and fluorescent in situ hybridization methods . The 5′ nuclease assays were subsequently used to determine the relative amounts of different Bifidobacterium species in fecal sample s from infants receiving a st and ard formula or a st and ard formula supplemented with galacto- and fructo-oligosaccharides ( OSF ) . A breast-fed group was studied in parallel as a reference . The results showed a significant increase in the total amount of fecal bifidobacteria ( 54.8 % ± 9.8 % to 73.4 % ± 4.0 % ) in infants receiving the prebiotic formula ( OSF ) , with a diversity of Bifidobacterium species similar to breast-fed infants . The intestinal microbiota of infants who received a st and ard formula seems to resemble a more adult-like distribution of bifidobacteria and contains relatively more B. catenulatum and B. adolescentis ( 2.71 % ± 1.92 % and 8.11 % ± 4.12 % , respectively , versus 0.15 % ± 0.11 % and 1.38 % ± 0.98 % for the OSF group ) . In conclusion , the specific prebiotic infant formula used induces a fecal microbiota that closely resembles the microbiota of breast-fed infants also at the level of the different Bifidobacterium species
Differences were potentially attributable to differences in infant risk , prebiotic formulation or measurement of eczema .
There is insufficient evidence to determine the role of prebiotic supplementation of infant formula for prevention of allergic disease and food hypersensitivity .
Further trials are needed to determine whether this finding persists over a longer period of time , applies to other manifestations of allergic disease , is associated with reductions in allergen sensitisation , and is reproducible
BACKGROUND The composition of the intestinal microflora may be different in individuals with atopic eczema from those without this condition , and such differences may precede the development of eczema .
Prebiotics are nondigestible food components that benefit the host by selectively stimulating the growth or activity of non-pathogenic bacteria in the colon .
Prebiotics ( commonly oligosaccharides ) added to infant feeds have the potential to prevent sensitisation of infants to dietary allergens .
OBJECTIVES To determine the effect of prebiotics given to infants for the prevention of allergic disease or food hypersensitivity .