Similar Occurrence of Febrile Episodes Reported in Non-Atopic Children at Three to Five Years of Age after Prebiotics Supplemented Infant Formula.

Margriet Van Stuijvenberg,Fabio Mosca,Günther Boehm,José Stam,Pieter J J Sauer,Multicentre Immuno Programming Study (Mips) Study Group ,Christoph Grüber,Josef Riedler,Sertac Arslanoglu,Christian P Braegger,Gaetano Chirico

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0129927

Margriet Van Stuijvenberg, Fabio Mosca + Show 9 more

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https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0129927

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Abstract

This is a follow up study of a multicenter randomised placebo-controlled trial in seven centres in five West European countries. The RCT assessed the effect of infant formula supplemented with a mixture of prebiotics (with neutral short-chain and long-chain oligosaccharides and pectin-derived acidic oligosaccharides) during infancy in term-born children (n=1130). In the follow-up study 672 children (60% of the study population) participated: 232 (56%) from the prebiotics group (PG), 243 (58%) from the control group (CG), and 197 (66%) from the non-randomised breast-fed group (BG). The primary outcome was the occurrence of febrile episodes at three to five years of age prospectively documented by the parents: in the PG 1.17 (interquartile range 0.50-2.08) episodes per year versus 1.20 (0.52-2.57) in the CG; and 1.48 (0.65-2.60) in the BG. This specific prebiotics mixture given during infancy in healthy non-atopic subjects does not decrease febrile episodes and therefore seems not to prevent infection between their third and fifth birthday.

Highlights

Reduction of infections is one of the major health advantages of breastfeeding compared to formula feeding. [1] Human milk oligosaccharides may contribute to this effect substantially as they have been implicated in the development of the gut flora of breastfed infants. [2,3,4]PLOS ONE | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0129927 June 15, 2015Febrile Episodes after Prebiotic Supplementation - MIPS Follow Up
Differences in baseline characteristics, including those which may be associated with the outcome, were compared within the treatment groups (PG and control group (CG)) between the original MIPS1 study population versus the MIPS follow up study population
The only statistically significant difference we found was in the number of rooms in the house in the prebiotics group (PG) (MIPS1 (n = 414) 3 (3–4) rooms versus in MIPS follow-up (n = 232) 4(3–5) rooms), and in the CG (MIPS1 (n = 416) 3 (3–4) rooms versus in MIPS follow-up (n = 243) 4 (3–4) rooms)

Summary

Introduction

Reduction of infections is one of the major health advantages of breastfeeding compared to formula feeding. [1] Human milk oligosaccharides may contribute to this effect substantially as they have been implicated in the development of the gut flora of breastfed infants. [2,3,4]PLOS ONE | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0129927 June 15, 2015Febrile Episodes after Prebiotic Supplementation - MIPS Follow Up. Reduction of infections is one of the major health advantages of breastfeeding compared to formula feeding. [1] Human milk oligosaccharides may contribute to this effect substantially as they have been implicated in the development of the gut flora of breastfed infants. Febrile Episodes after Prebiotic Supplementation - MIPS Follow Up

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