Building blocks of infant digestive health

WHILST reports show falling birth rates in many Asia-Pacific countries, the sheer size of the region　means that the infant formula market is set to experience unprecedented growth. With the region seeing an estimated 69 million pregnancies annually 1 , the APAC infant formula market is still a mammoth one. Manufacturers who would like to offer alternatives to mothers, who need to rely on infant formulae, should take note of ground-breaking new findings of a recent scientific study into the benefits
of prebiotic fibre-enriched infant formula, which suggest that manufactured formulae can provide similar　physiological benefits to those observed in breast-fed babies.

In the domain of infant nutrition, breastfeeding is strongly recommended as the gold standard in infant nutrition. Mother’s milk contains a substantial amount of oligosaccharides that may account for the bifidobacteria-predominant colonisation observed in the microflora of breast-fed infants. One of the mechanisms underlying the benefits of breastfeeding over formula feeding for newborns is this predominance of bifidobacteria, which is said to help to protect infants from infection. As there are various reasons why mothers must decide to feed instant formulae, however, formulae manufacturers should seek to offer breast-milk substitutes that come close to the benefits of human milk. 

A recent study conducted at the university hospitals of Tarragona and Sant Joan de Reus in Spain, indicate that neonates receiving a formula supplemented with BENEO’s prebiotic fibre Oraft? Synergy1 (oligofructose-enriched inulin) showed a microflora composition close to that of breast-fed infants 2.  Prebiotics are non-digestible but fermentable dietary fibres that stimulate the growth of beneficial bifidobacteria in the colon.  The results verified that babies receiving the supplemented
formula showed a higher proportion of bifidobacteria, softer stools and a higher deposition frequency,
compared to the control group receiving maltodextrin. Hard stools and constipation are common complaints in conventional formula-fed babies.

Additionally, it was shown that Orafti  Synergy1 is safe, well-tolerated and demonstrates a prebiotic effect in infants during the first four months after birth. Decisive results in one of the most sensitive markets served by food manufacturers, where safety and quality must be the top priority.

The study was set up in a large randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled design including 252 formula-fed, healthy infants recruited within the first four weeks of life and 131 breast-fed infants. The infant formula was supplemented with 0.8g/100ml of Orafti? Synergy1 or with maltodextrin in the control group. Formulae were provided until the age of four months. During the intervention period,  measurements  included normal growth, formula intake and acceptance, water balance, blood and urine biochemical parameters. All of them confirmed the safety of the Orafti? Synergy1 supplementation.

Prof Dr Ricardo Closa Monasterolo who led the study said, “Breast-fed babies have a different
microflora that is mainly composed of bifidobacteria and lactobacilli, compared to bottle-fed infants that display a more complex flora with a predominance of clostridia, bacteroides and streptococci. It has also been observed that breast-fed infants grow and develop differently with reduced incidence of infections, allergy and childhood obesity. Whereas human milk contains about 8% of total　carbohydrates in the form of prebiotic oligosaccharides, infant milk formulae do not contain such prebiotics unless they are enriched. With the study we were able to demonstrate that the supplementation with 0.8g/dL Orafti  Synergy1 to formulabalerínky