Veereman-Wauters Gigi
Queen Paola Children's Hospital, ZNA, Antwerp, Belgium.
Br J Nutr. 2005 Apr;93 Suppl 1:S57-60. doi: 10.1079/bjn20041354.
The rationale for supplementing an infant formula with prebiotics is to obtain a bifidogenic effect and the implied advantages of a 'breast-fed-like' flora. So far, the bifidogenic effect of oligofructose and inulin has been demonstrated in animals and in adults, of oligofructose in infants and toddlers and of a long-chain inulin (10 %) and galactooligosaccharide (90 %) mixture in term and preterm infants. The addition of prebiotics to infant formula softens stools but other putative effects remain to be demonstrated. Studies published post marketing show that infants fed a long-chain inulin/galactooligosaccharide mixture (0.8 g/dl) in formula grow normally and have no side-effects. The addition of the same mixture at a concentration of 0.8 g/dl to infant formula was therefore recognized as safe by the European Commission in 2001 but follow-up studies were recommended. It is thought that a bifidogenic effect is beneficial for the infant host. The rising incidence in allergy during the first year of life may justify the attempts to modulate the infant's flora. Comfort issues should not be confused with morbidity and are likely to be multifactorial. The functional effects of prebiotics on infant health need further study in controlled intervention trials.
在婴儿配方奶粉中添加益生元的基本原理是获得双歧杆菌生成效应以及类似母乳喂养的菌群所带来的潜在益处。到目前为止，低聚果糖和菊粉在动物和成人中的双歧杆菌生成效应已得到证实，低聚果糖在婴幼儿中的双歧杆菌生成效应也已得到证实，而长链菊粉（10%）和低聚半乳糖（90%）的混合物在足月儿和早产儿中的双歧杆菌生成效应也已得到证实。在婴儿配方奶粉中添加益生元可使粪便变软，但其他假定的效果仍有待证实。上市后发表的研究表明，食用含有长链菊粉/低聚半乳糖混合物（0.8克/分升）配方奶粉的婴儿生长正常且无副作用。因此，欧盟委员会在2001年认定在婴儿配方奶粉中添加浓度为0.8克/分升的相同混合物是安全的，但建议进行后续研究。人们认为双歧杆菌生成效应有利于婴儿宿主。生命第一年过敏发病率的上升可能证明调节婴儿菌群的尝试是合理的。舒适问题不应与发病率相混淆，而且可能是多因素的。益生元对婴儿健康的功能作用需要在对照干预试验中进一步研究。
