Baby formula , or infant formula , is a manufactured food designed and marketed to feed babies and infants under 12 months of age, usually prepared to bottle feed or eat from powder (mixed with water) or liquid (with or without additional water). The US Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act (FFDCA) defines infant formula as "intended or represented food for the use of special diets solely as food for infants by reason of human milk simulation or its suitability as a complete or partial substitute for human milk ".
The manufacturer states that the composition of infant formulas is designed to be roughly based on mother's milk in about one to three months postpartum; However, there is a significant difference in the nutritional content of this product. The most common infant formula milk contains cow's milk and beef casein which is purified as a source of protein, a mixture of vegetable oils as a source of fat, lactose as a source of carbohydrates, a mixture of vitamins, minerals and other ingredients depending on the manufacturer. In addition, there are infant formulas that use soy as a source of protein in place of cow's milk (mostly in the United States and the UK) and the formula using the protein is hydrolysed into its component amino acids for infants allergic to other proteins. Improvement in breastfeeding in many countries has been accompanied by delays in the average age of introduction of infant feeding (including cow milk), thus both increasing breastfeeding and increased use of infant formula between the ages of 3 and 12 months.
A 2001 World Health Organization (WHO) report found that formula milk prepared according to the applicable Codex Alimentarius standard is a safe complementary supplement and a suitable breastmilk substitute. In 2003, WHO and UNICEF published a Global Strategy for Baby Food and Their Young Children, reiterating that "processed food products for... young children should, when sold or distributed, meet applicable standards recommended by the Codex Alimentarius Commission ", and also warned that" lack of breastfeeding - and especially the lack of exclusive breastfeeding during the first half of life - is an important risk factor for infant and child morbidity and mortality ".
In particular, the use of infant formulas in less-developed countries is economically associated with poorer health outcomes due to the prevalence of unhealthy preparation conditions, including lack of clean water and lack of sanitary equipment. The formula-fed child living in an unclean condition is between 6 and 25 times more likely to die of diarrhea and four times more likely to die of pneumonia than breastfed children. Rarely, the use of powdered milk formula (PIF) has been linked to serious illness, and even death, due to infection with Cronobacter sakazakii and other microorganisms that can be introduced to PIF during its production. Although C. sakazakii can cause disease in all age groups, infants are believed to have the greatest risk of infection. Between 1958 and 2006, there were several dozen reported cases of E. sakazakii infection worldwide. WHO believes that the infection is less reported.
Video Infant formula
Use, risk, and controversy
The use and marketing of infant formula has been highlighted. Breastfeeding, including exclusive breastfeeding during the first 6 months of life, is widely recommended as "ideal" for infants and infants, both by health authorities - and in accordance with the ethical advertising of formula producers.
Despite the recommendation that babies be exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months, less than 40% of infants under this age are exclusively breastfed worldwide. Most American babies are not exclusively breastfed for this period - in 2005 under 12% of infants exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months, with more than 60% of infants aged 2 months fed formula, and roughly one in four infants fed infant formula feeding within two days after birth.
Several studies have shown that the use of formulas may vary according to the socio-economic status of parents, ethnicity or other characteristics. For example, according to a study conducted in Vancouver, Canada, 82.9% of mothers breast-feed their babies at birth, but that number differs between Caucasian (91.6%) and non-Caucasian (56.8%), with different is essentially associated with marital status, education and family income. In the United States, mothers with lower socioeconomic status are found less likely to breastfeed, although this may be partly related to the adverse effects of the government's nutritional supplementation program that subsidizes formula milk.
The use of infant formula that is hydrolyzed compared to standard infant formula does not seem to alter the risk of allergies or autoimmune diseases.
Use of baby formula
The use of infant formula has been cited for a variety of increased health risks. Research has found infants in developed countries who consume high-risk formula milk for acute otitis media, gastroenteritis, severe lower respiratory tract infections, atopic dermatitis, asthma, obesity, type 1 and 2 diabetes, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), eczema and necrotizing enterocolitis when compared with breastfed infants. Several studies have found an association between infant formulas and lower cognitive development, including iron supplementation in infant formulas associated with decreased IQ. and other neurodevelopmental delays; Yet other studies have found no correlation.
Melamine contamination
In 2008, the case of melamine poisoning from infant formula was found in China, where milk was deliberately falsified with chemicals, causing the death of six infants, and disease in over 300,000 infants, including cases of acute renal failure. A large amount of melamine is added to the dilute milk to give the appearance of having adequate protein levels. Some of those responsible for poisoning were sentenced to death.
In November 2008, melamine traces were reported to have been discovered by the US Food and Drug Administration in infant formula sold in the United States made by three major American companies - Abbott Laboratories, Nestlà ©  © and Mead Johnson - responsible for 90 -99% of baby formula market in the country. The rate is much lower than reported in China, where the level of melamine contamination has reached as many as 2,500 parts per million, about 10,000 times higher than recorded US levels. The safety data sheet for melamine (CAS registration number 108-78-1; C3-H6-N6) recorded acute oral toxicity (median lethal dose) at 3161 Âμg/kg for mice.
Health Canada conducts separate tests and also detects melamine traces in formula milk available in Canada. The level of melamine is well below the safety limit of Health Canada, although concerns remain about the safety of food produced for infants and monitoring of potentially harmful substances.
Other health controversies
- In 1985, Syntex Corporation was ordered to pay $ 27 million in compensation for the deaths of two American babies who suffered brain damage after drinking a baby formula, called Neo-mull-soy . The formulas produced by Syntex have previously been subjected to large withdrawals because they are found to have insufficient chloride to support normal baby growth and development.
- In 2003, baby formula produced by the German company Humana and sold in Israel under the brand Remedia caused severe vitamin deficiency in infants. Infants who consume formula milk are treated in hospital with heart and nerve symptoms. Three of them died, and at least twenty others suffered severe disabilities. The investigation revealed that the formula contained a much lower amount of thiamine than was necessary for healthy infant development due to manufacturing error. Chief food technology expert Humana received a 30-month prison term for careless killing in February 2013 on the case.
- In 2010, Abbott Laboratories issued a voluntary recall of about five million Similac brand powdered milk formulas sold in the United States, Guam, Puerto Rico and some Caribbean countries. The recall is issued after the presence of a 'small beetle' is detected in the product.
- In Canada, New Zealand and elsewhere, public concern has been raised about the ongoing sales and marketing of soy-based formulas that potentially contain high levels of phytoestrogens, associated with abnormal childhood development including damage to the baby's thyroid gland.
- In December 2011, Wal-Mart recalled a number of infant formulas after the baby died in Missouri. "We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of these baby boys as they try to overcome their loss," said Dianna Gee, a Wal-Mart spokesman. "As soon as we hear what happens, we immediately contact the formula manufacturer and to the Department of Health and Senior Services to provide any information we may have to assist in the investigation." Wal-Mart said it drew a number of Enfamil from its stores around the world that matched the size and lot number of ZP1k7G from a formula that might have inflicted a baby in Missouri, Gee said. Baby formula was purchased from Wal-Mart in Lebanon, Missouri. After purchase, a 10-day-old baby died of a rare bacterial infection, CNN affiliate KYTV reported. Authorities run tests to determine whether death comes from formulas, water to make formulas or other factors, says Mead Johnson Nutrition, the company that makes Enfamil. "We are very confident with the safety and quality of our products - and the rigorous testing we are undertaking," said Chris Perille, spokesperson for Nutrition Mead Johnson. [CNN Resource]
Maps Infant formula
Preparation and content
Variations
Infant formula milk contains powder, liquid concentrate, and ready-to-eat form. They are designed to be prepared by parents or caregivers in small groups and fed to babies, usually with a baby cup or bottle.
Infant formula milk is available in various types:
- Cow's milk formula is the most commonly used type. Milk has been changed to resemble mother's milk.
- Soy protein-based formula is often used for babies who are allergic to cow's milk or lactose. Soy-based formulas can also be useful if parents want to remove animal protein from a child's diet.
- The formula hydrolyzate protein contains proteins that have been broken down into smaller sizes than those found in cow's milk and soy-based formulas. The protein hydrolyzate formula is intended for infants who do not tolerate cow's milk or soy-based formulas.
- Special formulas are also available for premature babies and babies with certain medical conditions.
Manufacturers and health officials suggest it is important to measure powder or concentrate accurately to achieve the concentration of the intended product; otherwise, the child will be malnourished. It is recommended that all equipment in contact with infant formula be cleaned and sterilized before use. Proper cooling is very important for all prepared baby formulas.
In developing countries, infant formula is often incorrectly prepared, resulting in high infant mortality due to malnutrition and diseases such as diarrhea and pneumonia. This is due to a lack of clean water, lack of sterile conditions, lack of cooling, illiteracy (so written instructions can not be followed), poverty (dilution formula that lasts longer), and lack of maternal education by formula distributors. These problems and resulting illness and death are key factors in opposing the marketing and distribution of infant formulas in developing countries by various public health agencies and NGOs (discussed in more detail on NestlÃÆ' Â © and International Code of Marketing of Breast-Replacement).
Nutritional content
In addition to breast milk, formula is the only other dairy product considered by the medical community as nutrition for infants under one year of age (compared to cow's milk, goat's milk, or advanced formulas). Complementing with solid foods other than breast milk or formula begins at weaning, and most babies begin to increase their first tooth time, usually around the age of six months.
Although cow's milk is the basis of almost all formula, plain cow's milk is not suitable for babies because of its high casein content and low whey content, and unprocessed cow's milk is not recommended before the age of 12 months. The baby's intestines are not well equipped to digest non-human milk, and this can often cause diarrhea, intestinal bleeding and malnutrition. To reduce the negative effects on the baby's digestive system, cow's milk used for formula milk is processed to be made into formula milk. These include steps to make proteins more easily digested and convert the balance of whey-to-casein proteins to one closer to breast milk, the addition of some essential ingredients (often called "fortification", see below), partial or total replacement of dairy products fat with fat from vegetables or sea origin, etc.
The baby's nutritional formula for sale in the United States is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) based on recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Nutrition. The following should be included in all formulas produced in the US:
- Protein
- Fat
- Linoleic Acid
- Vitamins: A, C, D, E, K, thiamin (B 1 ), riboflavin (B 2 ), B 6 , B 12
- Niacin
- Folic acid
- Pantothenic acid
- Calcium
- Minerals: magnesium, iron, zinc, manganese, copper
- Phosphorus
- Iodine
- Sodium chloride
- Potassium chloride
- Carbohydrates
- Carbohydrates are an important source of energy for infant growth, since they account for 35 to 42% of their daily energy intake. In most cow's milk-based formulas, lactose is the main source of carbohydrates present, but lactose is not present in lactose-based free formula of cow's milk or a special non-milk protein formula or a hydrolyzed protein formula for infants with milk protein sensitivity. Lactose also does not exist in soy-based formulas. Therefore, lactose-free formulas will use other carbohydrate sources, such as sucrose and glucose, dextrin, and natural starch and modification. Lactose is not only a good source of energy, but also helps in the absorption of minerals magnesium, calcium, zinc, and iron.
- Nucleotides
- Nucleotides are compounds found naturally in human milk. They are involved in critical metabolic processes, such as energy metabolism and enzymatic reactions. Also, as building blocks of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA), they are essential for normal body function. Compared with human milk, cow's milk has lower levels of uridine, inosine, and cytidine nucleotides. Therefore, some companies that produce infant formula have added nucleotides to their infant formula.
Other commonly used materials:
- Emulsifiers and stabilizers: Materials are added to prevent the separation of oil from water (and its soluble components) in infant formula. Some commonly used emulsifiers include monoglycerides, diglycerides, and gums.
- Solvents: Skim milk is generally used as the main diluent in a milk-based liquid formula to provide most of the volume. In contrast, pure water is the most commonly used diluent in milk-free formulations.
Industrial policies, industry and marketing
The policy, regulatory and industrial environment surrounding baby formula markets varies widely across countries.
International
The International Code of Marketing The Breast-milk Substitute is an international health policy framework adopted by the World Health Assembly of WHO in 1981 on the marketing of infant formulas, including strict restrictions on advertising. Its implementation depends on different laws of the country and the behavior of formula milk producers - the code does not have the power itself. Legislation and corporate behavior vary significantly between countries: at least 84 countries have enacted national laws that apply all or many of the provisions of the Code and 14 countries have draft laws pending adoption; while elsewhere neither the Guidelines nor the principles are followed by the government or the manufacturer of the formula.
Prohibited practices in the Code cover most ads, claim health benefits for formula milk, and give free samples to breastfeeding women - this latter practice is especially criticized for being able to disrupt lactation, creating dependence on formulas. In many countries free samples of infant formula have been given to hospitals for decades; Infant formula is the only product that is routinely given free to the hospital. The Infant Friendly Hospital initiative aims to reduce and eliminate this controversial practice.
By country
Philippines
Infant formula milk is one of the top three consumer commodities in the Philippines, and among most imported products. The annual sales amount to approximately US $ 469 million per year. US $ 88 million is spent on advertising the product.
Baby formula marketing has been set up since 1987 Executive Order 51 or "Milk Code", which regulates, but not prohibits, practices such as advertising and provides free samples. Shortly after it was enacted, Wyeth introduced the "advanced formula", which was not within the scope of the Code of Milk that preceded the entry of the market.
In 2006, the Department of Health banned infant formula advertising and the practice of providing free samples, regardless of the age group in question (in Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations from Executive Order 51, or RIRR). The new regulations are challenged by the infant formula industry in the Supreme Court. Initially the challenge was dismissed, but this decision was reversed following industry pressures and controversial letters by American business leader Thomas Donahue, then President and CEO of the US Chamber of Commerce, which resulted in the regulation being suspended and advertisements continuing.
The Guardian reported illegal advertising and formula milk marketing reports that conflict with World Health Organization guidelines. Doctors and midwives are encouraged to promote infant formula, advertising also targets the mother directly. The baby is sick and sometimes dies because the poor mother can not sterilize the bottle.
South Africa
In South Africa, there are steps towards packaging plain infant formula under R 991 of the Food, Cosmetics and Disinfecting Act; as of December 6, 2013, Rule 7 (Sales and Promotion) is a force, whereas Rule 2-6 (mainly related to labeling) is scheduled to take effect on December 6, 2014. One of the main requirements under Rule 3.1.A.iii is a striking message which states "[t] its products will only be used upon the advice of a health professional".
United Kingdom
In the UK, advertising baby formulas have been illegal since 1995, advertising for "advanced formulas" is legal, which has been cited as a gap allowing ads from similarly packaged formulas.
United States
In the United States, infant formula is highly marketed - the country has not adopted the Code of Ethics, nor has it been systematically implemented by producers for domestic marketing - and even subsidized by the government: at least a third of the US market is supported by the government, with more than half the infant formula sold in the countries provided through the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (known as WIC).
According to the survey, more than 70% of hospitals in the US are issuing infant formulas to all infants, a practice opposed by the American Academy of Pediatrics and Code violations. The Gerber Products Company began selling the baby formula brand directly to the public in October 1989, while the Carnation Company began to market the Infant Starting formula directly to the public in January 1991.
The cost of infant formula is a significant part of WIC program costs: 21% post-rebate and 46% pre-rebate. Formula manufacturers are awarded WIC monopolies in each state. Meanwhile, breastfeeding rates are substantially lower for WIC receivers; This is partly due to the formula that is free of charge for mothers in WIC programs, which have low socioeconomic status. Violations of federal policy have also been found in advertising of formula companies using the WIC trademark, to reach both WIC and non-WIC participants. In recent years, WIC has expanded breastfeeding promotion strategies, including subsidizing clients using milk banks.
History
Initial baby food
Throughout history, mothers who can not breastfeed their babies either use wet nurses or, less often, fast food for their babies, a process known as "dry nursing". The composition of baby food varies by region and economic status. In Europe and North America in the early 19th century, the prevalence of wet breastfeeding began to decline, while the practice of feeding mixed infants based on animal milk increased in popularity.
This trend was driven by cultural change as well as improvement in sanitation measures, and continued throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, with a significant increase after Elia Pratt discovered and patented Indian rubber nipples in 1845. In early 1846, scientists and nutritionists note an increase in medical problems and infant mortality is associated with dry nursing. In an effort to improve the quality of baby food produced, in 1867, Justus von Liebig developed the world's first commercial baby formula, Liebig Snack for Baby . The success of this product quickly led to competitors such as Mellin's Food, Ridge's Food for Infants and Nestlà © Â's Milk.
Crude milk formula
As doctors became increasingly concerned about the quality of such foods, medical recommendations such as Thomas Morgan Rotch's "percentage method" (published in 1890) began to be distributed, and gained widespread popularity in 1907. This complex formula recommends that parents mix cow's milk, water , cream, and sugar or honey in a certain ratio to achieve a nutritional balance believed to be near human milk formulated in such a way as to accommodate the baby's digestive abilities believed.
At the beginning of the 20th century in the United States, most babies are breastfed, although many also receive formula. The home-made "percentage method" formula is more commonly used than commercial formulas in Europe and the United States. They are cheaper and widely believed to be healthier. However, formula-fed infants show more diet-related medical issues, such as scurvy, rickets and bacterial infections than breastfed babies. In 1920, the incidence of scurvy and rickets in formula-fed infants has greatly decreased through the addition of orange juice and cod liver oil to artificial formulas. Bacterial infections associated with the formula remain a more common problem in the United States than in Europe, where milk is usually boiled before use in the formula.
Milk formula evaporated
In the 1920s and 1930s, vaporized milk became widely available on the market at low prices, and several clinical studies showed that infants fed a vaporized milk formula thrived and breast-fed babies.
This finding is not supported by modern research. These studies, accompanied by an affordable price of evaporated milk and the availability of home refrigerators, began a remarkable increase in the use of evaporative formula milk. By the late 1930s, the use of evaporative formula in the United States surpassed all commercial formulas, and by 1950 more than half of all babies in the United States had grown up on such a formula.
Commercial formula
In line with the major shift (in industrialized countries) from breastfeeding to artificial formulas, nutritional scientists continue to analyze human milk and try to make infant formulas more suited to their composition. Maltose and dextrins are believed to be important nutrients, and in 1912, the Mead Johnson Company issued a dairy additive called Dextri-Maltose . This formula is made available to mothers only by doctors. In 1919, milk fat was replaced with a mixture of animal and vegetable fats as part of an attempt to more closely simulate human milk. This formula is called SMA for "customized simulated milk."
In the late 1920s, Alfred Bosworth released Similac (for "similar to lactation"), and Mead Johnson released Sobee . Several other formulas were released over the next few decades, but commercial formulas did not begin to seriously compete with evaporated milk formula until the 1950s. Similac's reformulation and concentration in 1951, and the introduction (by Mead Johnson) of Enfamil (for "baby feeding") in 1959 was accompanied by a marketing campaign that provided cheap formulas for hospitals and pediatricians. In the early 1960s, commercial formulas were more commonly used than the evaporated formula milk in the United States, all of which vanished in the 1970s. In the early 1970s, more than 75% of American babies were fed formula, almost entirely commercially produced.
When the birth rate in industrialized countries declined during the 1960s, baby formula companies increased marketing campaigns in non-industrialized countries. Unfortunately, poor sanitation causes death rates to rise sharply among infants fed formula fed with contaminated water (drinking). In addition, low-income families can be too debilitating in an attempt to "stretch" the supplies that lead to malnutrition for infants. The organized protest, most notably the Nestlà ©  © 1977 boycott, called for an end to unethical marketing. This boycott is ongoing, as current coordinators maintain that NestlÃÆ'  © engages in marketing practices that violate the International Code of Marketing of Breast-Replacement.
Common brand formula
In addition to a commercially marketed brand, the generic brand (or store brand) infant formula was introduced in the United States in 1997, first by PBM Products. This private label formula is sold by many leading food and drug retailers such as Wal-Mart, Target, Kroger, Loblaws, and Walgreens. All brands of infant formulas in the United States are required to comply with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines. As reported by the Mayo Clinic: "Like most consumer products, brand-name powders are more expensive than generic brands, but that does not mean that the Similac, Nestle, Enfamil brand name formula is better, although manufacturers may vary. their formula, the FDA requires that all formulas contain the same nutrient density. "
Similarly, in Canada all infant formula is independent of the brand required to meet the standards set by Health Canada.
Follow-up formula and toddler
Advanced formulas or toddlers are sold for ages 6 months to 2 years, (when the baby is usually breastfed) and are not nutritionally complete or subject to the same rules as formula milk. Critics argue that subsequent formulas and toddlers are introduced to avoid regulations on infant formula and have resulted in confusing advertising.
Early examples of advanced formulas were introduced by Wyeth in the Philippines in 1987, following the introduction of this country's regulation on infant formula advertising, but that did not address the advanced formula (a product that was not present at the time of its preparation). Similarly, while infant formula ads are illegal in the UK, advanced formula ads are legal, and packaging and similar market results in advanced advertising are often interpreted as advertisements for formulas. (See also industry and marketing, below.)
These products have also recently been criticized for contributing to the obesity epidemic in some developed countries due to their marketing and taste practices.
Usage since 1970s
Since the early 1970s, industrialized nations have witnessed the rise in breastfeeding among newborns and infants up to 6 months of age. This increase in breastfeeding has been accompanied by a delay in the average age of identification of other foods (such as cow's milk), resulting in increased use of breastfeeding and infant formula between 3-12 months of age.
The global baby formula market is estimated at $ 7.9 billion, with North America and Western Europe accounting for 33% of the market and considered highly saturated, and Asia representing 53% of the market. Southeast Asia is a huge part of the world market relative to its inhabitants. Infant formula milk is the largest segment of the baby food market, with fractions being given between 40% and 70%.
Leading health organizations (eg WHO, US Centers for Disease Control and the Department of Health and Human Services) seek to reduce the use of infant formula and increase the prevalence of breastfeeding from birth to 12 to 24 months through public health awareness campaigns. The specific objectives and approaches of this breastfeeding promotion program, and the policy environment around its application, vary by country. As a basic policy framework, the International Code of Substitute Marketing, adopted by the WHO World Health Assembly in 1981, requires formula companies to provide their product information with the statement that breastfeeding is the best way to feed the baby and that substitutes should only be used after consultation with health professionals. The Baby Friendly Infant Initiative also limits use by free formula hospitals or other baby care assistance provided by formula companies. (See also the Policy section below.)
Baby formula processing
History
Current general procedure
The manufacturing process may be different for different types of formulas that are made; Therefore, the following are general procedures for liquid milk based formulas:
Mixed material
The main ingredients are mixed in large stainless steel tanks and skim milk added and adjusted to 60 ° C. Then, fats, oils and emulsifiers are added. Additional heating and mixing may be necessary to obtain the right consistency. Furthermore, minerals, vitamins, and stabilizing gums are added at various points, depending on their sensitivity to heat. Batches are temporarily stored and then transported by pipes to pasteurization equipment when mixing is complete.
Pasteurization
This is a process that protects against decay by removing bacteria, yeast and fungi. This involves heating up rapidly and then cooling the product under controlled conditions in which microorganisms can not survive. Batches are conducted around 85-94 Â ° C for approximately 30 seconds required to reduce micro-organisms and prepare a formula for filling.
Homogenization
This is a process that improves uniformity and emulsion stability by reducing the particle size of fats and oils in the formula. This is done with a variety of mixing equipment that apply sliding to the product and this mixing breaks the fat and oil particles into very small droplets.
Standardization
Standardization is used to ensure that key parameters such as pH, fat concentration and vitamins and mineral content are correct. If these inadequate levels are found, the batch is reworked to reach the appropriate level. After this step, the batch is ready to be packaged.
Packaging
The packaging depends on the manufacturer and the type of equipment used, but in general, the liquid formula is filled into a metal can with the lid wrinkled in place.
Heat treatment or sterilization
Finally, the infant formula is heated to maintain the bacteriological quality of the product. This can be done traditionally with retort sterilization or high temperature HTST treatment. Recently, formulas treated with ultrahigh temperature have become more commonly used. If the formula powder is made, spray drying will be required in addition. Retort sterilization is a traditional retort sterilization method that uses 10-15 minutes of treatment at 118 ° C. The ultrahigh temperature (UHT) is a method that uses short maintenance (2-3 seconds) at 142 ° C. Because of the short time spent, there is little protein denaturation, but the process still ensures the sterility of the final product.
Potential new and upcoming potential
Probiotics
Recently, probiotics have become new ingredients in many of our foods, and research has been completed regarding the use of probiotics in infant formula. A few recently-controlled randomized trials have demonstrated short-term and limited clinical benefits for the use of probiotics in infants. diet The safety of probiotics in general and in infants, especially premature infants, has been studied in a number of controlled trials. The findings so far suggest probiotics are generally safe. Therefore, this study suggests more scientific research is needed before conclusions can be made about probiotic supplementation in infant formula, as the study is still fairly preliminary.
Prebiotics
Prebiotics are undigested carbohydrates that promote the growth of probiotic bacteria in the gut. Breast milk contains a variety of oligosaccharides believed to be an important factor in the pattern of colonization of infant breastfed microflora. Due to variations, variability, complexity and polymorphism of oligosaccharide compositions and structures, it is not currently feasible to reproduce the oligosaccharide component of human milk structurally strictly.
The European Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition Committee of Nutrition found evidence to support the short-term effects of prebiotic ingestion on infant stool microflora with an increase in the number of bifidobacteria. Infants may be at risk of dehydration with softer stool induction, if they have immature kidney and/or poor ability to concentrate urine. Pathogen reduction has been associated with prebiotic consumption. However, there is no evidence to support a large clinical or long-term benefit. Therefore, there is little evidence of beneficial effects of prebiotics in dietary products.
Lysozyme and lactoferrin
Lisozyme is an enzyme that is responsible for protecting the body by damaging the bacterial cell wall. Lactoferrin is a globular, multifunctional protein that has antimicrobial activity. Compared with breast milk, cow's milk has significantly lower lysozyme and lactoferrin levels; therefore, the industry has an increasing interest in adding it to infant formula.
See also
- Child development
- Baby food
- Baby bottle
- Breastfeeding
- breast milk
- Milk allergy
- List of dairy products
References
External links
- Isadora B. Stehlin. "Baby Formula: The Second Best but Good Enough". US. FDA . Archived from the original on December 26, 2007.
- FDA 101: Baby Formula
- "Breastfeeding and Guilt: Interview with Mayo Clinician"
- Infant and Toddler Nutrition
- Breastfeeding VS Formula Feeding
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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