Work package 1.3

Hypothesis: Infant health is improved by adding probiotics or milk bioactives to infant formula.

Probiotics and bioactive formula

We aim to optimize milk formula for infants that cannot be breast-fed. Diets enriched with probiotics or bioactive milk proteins/lipids are compared with standard formula or breast milk at hospitals.

Methods

Double-blind, randomized-controlled trial with an exclusively breast-fed group plus three formula-fed groups. Inclusion criteria for formula groups are healthy infants (2.5-4.0 kg body weight) for which exclusive formula feeding is decided by their own mother before infant age 14 d. Infants with congenital diseases, or receiving anti-/pre-/probiotics, are excluded. Follow up until 13 months.

Results

Primary endpoints: Infections episodes (gastrointestinal and upper and lower respiratory
infections) in infants fed with infant formula containing probiotics compared with standard formula.