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 .
Prebiotic effect during the first year of life in healthy infants fed formula containing GOS as the only prebiotic: a multicentre, randomised, double-blind and placebo-controlled trial
Purpose Currently , there is no consensus concerning the possible beneficial colonic and systemic effects of prebiotic-containing infant formula . This study assesses whether the feeding of a galactooligosaccharides (GOS)-containing infant formula ( 0.44 g/dl of GOS ) and the subsequent feeding of a GOS-containing follow-on formula ( 0.50 g/dl of GOS ) have a prebiotic effect on intestinal microbiota that helps to decrease infections and allergy manifestations in healthy infants during the first year of life . Methods A multicentre , r and omised , double-blind and placebo-controlled trial was carried out on 365 healthy term infants enrolled before 8 weeks of age and r and omly assigned to a formula with or without GOS , until 12 months of age . The incidence of infections and allergy manifestations , the antibiotics prescribed and faecal characteristics were recorded up to 12 months of age , while faecal sample s were collected up to 4 months for the measurement of secretory immunoglobulin A , short-chain fatty acids and microbiota . Results A prebiotic effect on the faecal analysis was observed at 4 months of life . The GOS group showed a lower faecal pH ( P = 0.019 ) , a lower decreasing trend in secretory immunoglobulin A ( P = 0.078 ) , lower butyric acid concentration ( P = 0.040 ) and an increase in Bifidobacterium counts ( P = 0.010 ) . Changes in faecal characteristics involved greater frequency ( P < 0.001 ) and softer consistency ( P < 0.05 ) . The incidence of infections or allergic manifestations during the first year of life was similar in both groups , with no statistical differences ( P > 0.05 ) . Conclusions The feeding of GOS-containing infant formula produced a definite prebiotic effect consisting of changes in faecal composition and microbiota , and in faecal consistency and the frequency of defaecation . No changes in the incidence of infection or allergic manifestation during the first year of life were observed
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 .