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Gas production by feces of infants

T Jiang1, F L Suarez, M D Levitt

  • 1Fomon Infant Nutrition Unit, Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa, 200 Hawkins Drive, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA.

Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition
|June 29, 2001
PubMed

Insights

Infant diet significantly impacts gut gas production. Breast milk promotes hydrogen, while soy formula increases methane and toxic sulfur gases like hydrogen sulfide, potentially affecting infant gut health.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Infant Nutrition
  • Gastroenterology

Background:

  • Infant abdominal discomfort is often attributed to intestinal gas.
  • Limited understanding exists regarding the composition and quantity of gases produced by infant gut microflora.
  • The influence of diet on infant gas formation remains largely unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the types and amounts of gases produced by the colonic microflora of infants.
  • To determine if infant diet (breast milk vs. formula) influences gas production.
  • To assess the impact of age on gas production in infants.

Main Methods:

  • Collected fresh stool specimens from breast-fed, soy formula-fed, and milk formula-fed infants at 1, 2, and 3 months of age.
  • Incubated fecal samples anaerobically at 37°C for 4 hours.
  • Quantified gases including hydrogen (H2), methane (CH4), carbon dioxide (CO2), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), methanethiol (CH3SH), and dimethyl sulfide (CH3SCH3) in the headspace.

Main Results:

  • Breast-fed infants produced more hydrogen (H2) than formula-fed infants, likely due to oligosaccharide absorption.
  • Soy formula-fed infants exhibited higher methane (CH4) production.
  • Soy formula-fed infants showed increased hydrogen sulfide (H2S) production, while breast-fed infants had lower methanethiol (CH3SH) production.
  • Gas production showed minimal age-related changes and no correlation with stool consistency, though malodor correlated with sulfur gas concentrations.

Conclusions:

  • Infant diet profoundly influences the profile of gases produced by their gut microbiota.
  • Significant differences in the production of toxic sulfur gases (H2S, CH3SH) were observed between feeding groups.
  • These dietary-driven variations in gas production, particularly sulfur gases, warrant further investigation for their potential role in infant intestinal disorders.
Abstract

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