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Sorrento studies of diet and fecal flora in the newborn
Author(s) -
WHARTON BRIAN A,
BALMER SUSAN E,
SCOTT PAUL H
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
pediatrics international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.49
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1442-200X
pISSN - 1328-8067
DOI - 10.1111/j.1442-200x.1994.tb03249.x
Subject(s) - flora (microbiology) , feces , lactoferrin , medicine , bacteroides , breast milk , infant formula , breast feeding , microbiology and biotechnology , casein , food science , physiology , biology , bacteria , pediatrics , biochemistry , genetics
The fecal flora of a breast‐fed baby is very different from that of a bottle‐fed baby. This paper reviews five previous studies, performed at this hospital concerning the effect of various dietary components (whey proteins, casein, lactoferrin, iron, nucleotides) on the fecal flora. The babies received either breast milk or one of the test formulas from birth. Fecal samples were examined by quantitative microbiological methods at 4 and 14 days and at various intervals thereafter. By 14 days differences in the fecal flora were established. Among breast‐fed babies bifidobacteria, lactobacilli and staphylococci were predominant organisms, whereas in the formula‐fed babies the predominant organisms were enterococci, coliforms, and Bacteroides. A whey‐based formula without bovine lactoferrin, iron or nucleotides gave a flora a little closer to but still remote from the breast‐fed one. Despite extensive modification of cow's milk in the manufacture of a modern infant formula, the fecal flora of bottle‐fed babies remains substantially different from that of breast‐fed babies.