Prebiotic in Baby Formula May Reduce Infant Infections

Filed in archive Kid's Health on March 2, 2009

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According to a new study from Italy, adding prebiotics to infant formula may reduce the number of gut infections and reduce the use of antibiotics in infants.

The number of infants who experienced more than three upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) was 17 per cent less amongst those receiving formula containing a mixture of galacto- and fructo-oligosaccharides, according to findings published in Clinical Nutrition.

The study has been hailed as "a very important paper that adds positively to the prebiotics field" by prebiotic expert Professor Glenn Gibson from the University of Reading.

The addition of prebiotics in infant formula is particularly important when breastfeeding isn't possible. Also in under developed countries where diarrhea is prevalent.