Intestinal colonisation patterns in breastfed and formula-fed infants during the first 12 weeks of life reveal sequential microbiota signatures.

The establishment of the infant gut microbiota is a highly dynamic process dependent on extrinsic and intrinsic factors. We characterized the faecal microbiota of 4 breastfed infants and 4 formula-fed infants at 17 consecutive time points during the first 12 weeks of life. Microbiota composition was analysed by a combination of 16S rRNA gene sequencing and quantitative PCR (qPCR).

Effect of an α-lactalbumin-enriched infant formula supplemented with oligofructose on fecal microbiota, stool characteristics, and hydration status: a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial.

Aims: To evaluate the impact of oligofructose (OF)-supplemented infant formula on fecal microbiota, stool characteristics, and hydration.

Methods: Ninety-five formula-fed infants were randomized to α-lactalbumin-enriched control formula (CF) or identical formula with 3.0 g/L OF (EF) for 8 weeks; 50 infants fed human milk (HM) were included.

Maternal-to-infant transmission of probiotics: concept validation in mice, rats, and pigs.

Background: Postnatal introduction of probiotics results in a low incidence of colonization, whereas maternal fecal and vaginal bacteria colonize the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of vaginally delivered infants.

Objective: We tested if probiotic bacteria, fed to three pregnant animal models, would colonize the GIT of offspring delivered vaginally.

Methods: Probiotic strains of Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium lactis were fed to pregnant mice, rats, and sows for at least 7 days prior to vaginal delivery.

The impact of commercial human infant formula on fecal attributes in a weanling pig model.

An experiment to assess the influence of commercially available infant formulas on characteristics of feces in a weanling piglet model was conducted. Seven commercial infant formulas [whey, whey+alpha-lactalbumin, whey+alpha-lactalbumin+oligofructose, whey+GOS+polyfructose, whey protein concentrate 1 (with 27.3% acid hydrolyzed fat), whey protein concentrate 2 (with 29.

The delivery of probiotics and prebiotics to infants.

A number of studies involving the feeding of probiotics and prebiotics to infants have been published over the last decade. These studies have examined a wide range of health outcomes, including growth and safety, prophylaxis and alleviation of diarrheal disease, reduction in atopic disease, reduction in necrotizing enterocolitis, and reduction in infection of the preterm infant. In addition, these studies have described microbiological alterations observed in response to probiotic and prebiotic feeding.