Pediatr Gastroenterol Hepatol Nutr.  2017 Sep;20(3):167-177. 10.5223/pghn.2017.20.3.167.

Safety of a New Synbiotic Starter Formula

• Vandenplas Y
• Analitis A
• Tziouvara
• Kountzoglou A
• Drakou A
• Tsouvalas
• Mavroudi A
• Xinias I

• KMID: 2390548
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5223/pghn.2017.20.3.167

Abstract

PURPOSE
Breastfeeding is the best way to feed all infants, but not all infants can be (exclusively) breastfed. Cow's milk based infant formula is the second choice infant feeding.
METHODS
The safety of a new synbiotic infant formula, supplemented with Bifidobacterium lactis and fructo-oligosaccharides, with lactose and a whey/casein 60/40 protein ratio was tested in 280 infants during 3 months.
RESULTS
The median age of the infants at inclusion was 0.89 months. Weight evolution was in accordance with the World Health Organization growth charts for exclusive breastfed infants. The evolution of all anthropometric parameters (weight-for-length z score and body mass index-for-age z score) was within the normal range. The incidence of functional constipation (3.2%), daily regurgitation (10.9%), infantile crying and colic (10.5%) were all significantly lower than the reported median prevalence for a similar age according to literature (median value of 7.8% for functional constipation, 26.7% for regurgitation, 17.7% for infantile colic).
CONCLUSION
The new synbiotic infant starter formula was safe, resulted in normal growth and was well tolerated. Functional gastro-intestinal manifestations (functional constipation, regurgitation and colic) were significantly lower than reported in literature. Synbiotics (Bifidobacterium lactis and fructo-oligosaccharides) in cow's milk based infant formula bring the second choice infant feeding, formula, closer to the golden standard, exclusive breastfeeding.

Keyword

Functional gastrointestinal disorder; Growth; Infant formula; Prebiotics; Probiotics; Synbiotics

MeSH Terms

Bifidobacterium
Breast Feeding
Colic
Constipation
Crying
Gastrointestinal Diseases
Growth Charts
Humans
Incidence
Infant
Infant Formula
Lactose
Milk
Prebiotics
Prevalence
Probiotics
Reference Values
Synbiotics*
World Health Organization
Lactose
Prebiotics

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Weight gain of the girls, plotted against the World Health Organization (WHO) growth charts.

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  Fig. 2 Weight gain of the boys, plotted against the World Health Organization (WHO) growth charts.

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  Fig. 3 Evolution of the weight-for-length z score.

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  Fig. 4 Evolution of the body mass index (BMI)-for-age z score.

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