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Updated: Feb 27, 2026
Probiotic Studies in Neonatal Mice Using Gavage
Published on: January 27, 2019
Effect of Synbiotic on the Gut Microbiota of Cesarean Delivered Infants: A Randomized, Double-blind, Multicenter
Mei Chin Chua1, Kaouther Ben-Amor, Christophe Lay
1*KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore †Danone Nutricia Research, Utrecht, The Netherlands ‡Danone Nutricia Research, Singapore §King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital ||Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand ¶Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
Abstract:
We determined the effect of short-chain galacto-oligosaccharides (scGOS), long-chain fructo-oligosaccharides (lcFOS) and Bifidobacterium breve M-16V on the gut microbiota of cesarean-born infants. Infants were randomized to receive a standard formula (control), the same with scGOS/lcFOS and B. breve M-16V (synbiotic), or with scGOS/lcFOS (prebiotic) from birth until week 16, 30 subjects born vaginally were included as a reference group. Synbiotic supplementation resulted in a higher bifidobacteria proportion from day 3/5 (P < 0.0001) until week 8 (P = 0.041), a reduction of Enterobacteriaceae from day 3/5 (P = 0.002) till week 12 (P = 0.016) compared to controls. This was accompanied with a lower fecal pH and higher acetate. In the synbiotic group, B. breve M-16V was detected 6 weeks postintervention in 38.7% of the infants. This synbiotic concept supported the early modulation of Bifidobacterium in C-section born infants that was associated with the emulation of the gut physiological environment observed in vaginally delivered infants.
