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 .
Exploration of basal immune parameters in healthy infants receiving an infant milk formula supplemented with prebiotics.
This double-blind , r and omized , placebo-controlled study , aim ed to explore the effect of an infant milk formula ( IMF ) with 6 g/l short-chain galacto- and long-chain fructo-oligosaccharides ( scGOS/lcFOS , ratio 9:1 ) on basal immune parameters in 215 healthy , term infants during the first 26 wk of life . After birth , the infants  received breast milk or were r and omized to receive an IMF with or without scGOS/lcFOS .  Blood sample s were collected at the age of 8 wk and 26 wk for the analysis of serum immunoglobulins , lymphocyte sub population s , and cytokines . The scGOS/lcFOS group and the control group were compared in the statistical analysis . A breast fed group was included as a reference . In total , 187 Infants completed the study . No significant differences were observed between both formula groups in the different studied immune parameters at weeks 8 and 26 . This explorative study indicates that supplementation of infant formula with a mixture of prebiotic oligosaccharides did not change the basal level of the measured parameters of the developing immune system in healthy infants with a balanced immune system during the first 6 months of life in comparison to feeding a st and ard infant formula and in comparison to exclusive breastfeeding
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 .