Prebiotic Effect Of Fructo-Oligosaccharide Supplemented Term Infant Formula at Two Concentrations Compared with

Background: Human milk components, including oligosac-charides, affect the gastrointestinal flora of infants. Previous studies in adults have demonstrated that fructo-oligosacchar-ides 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. Methods: Healthy term infants 2 to 6 weeks of age were enrolled in a 5-week, prospective, randomized, crossover, single-site study with a nonrandomized human milk comparator group. Washout weeks preceded and followed a week of feeding with fructo-oligosaccharide-supplemented formula (1.5 or 3.0 g/L). Stool specimens were quantitatively cultured weekly for bacteroides, lactobacilli, bifidobacteria, clostridi