Prebiotic effect of fructo-oligosaccharide supplemented term infant formula at two concentrations compared with unsupplemented formula and human milk.

Background: Human milk components, including oligosaccharides, affect the gastrointestinal flora of infants. Previous studies in adults have demonstrated that fructo-oligosaccharides increase potentially beneficial fecal bacteria, including bifidobacteria. The purpose of this study was to determine the prebiotic effect of infant formula supplemented with fructo-oligosaccharides.

Growth and safety in term infants fed reduced-protein formula with added bovine alpha-lactalbumin.

Objective: To assess growth, tolerance, and biochemical measures of protein status in term infants fed an experimental formula with reduced total protein concentration and enriched in bovine alpha-lactalbumin prepared from an alpha-lactalbumin dominant bovine whey.

Methods: Healthy, term, exclusively formula-fed infants < or =14 days postnatal age, between 10th and 90th percentiles in weight and length for age were studied in this randomized, masked, multicenter study. Infants received ad libitum feedings of either experimental or control formula for 12 weeks.