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Development and differences of intestinal flora in the neonatal period in breast-fed and bottle-fed infants
Insights
Breast milk promotes beneficial bifidobacteria in infant gut flora, unlike formula feeding. This supports breast-feeding for infant health and disease prevention.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Pediatrics
- Human Nutrition
Background:
- The gut microbiome plays a critical role in infant health.
- Early life microbial colonization influences long-term health outcomes.
- Dietary factors significantly impact the developing infant gut microbiota.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of breast-feeding versus formula feeding on the development of infant stool bacterial flora.
- To compare the composition and abundance of specific bacterial groups in breast-fed and bottle-fed infants.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study tracking stool bacterial flora in two infant groups: breast-fed and bottle-fed.
- Quantitative analysis of bacterial populations, specifically enterobacteria and bifidobacteria, in fecal samples.
- Comparison of microbial composition at different time points (day 6 and 1 month of age).
Main Results:
- Initial colonization by enterobacteria (10^9/g) occurred in both groups.
- By day 6, breast-fed infants showed a predominance of bifidobacteria (1,000:1 ratio over enterobacteria), while formula-fed infants had predominant enterobacteria (10:1 ratio over bifidobacteria).
- At 1 month, bifidobacteria were prevalent in both groups, but significantly more abundant in breast-fed infants (approximately tenfold).
Conclusions:
- Breast milk composition actively promotes the growth of beneficial bifidobacteria.
- Breast milk also appears to suppress the growth of potentially pathogenic organisms like coliforms.
- These findings highlight the advantages of breast-feeding for establishing a healthy infant gut microbiome and potentially reducing neonatal disease incidence.
Abstract:
The development of stool bacterial flora was studied in breast-fed and bottle-fed infants. In both groups of infants, the intestine was first colonized with enterobacteria and their number attained 10(9) per gram of feces. On day 6, bifidobacteria were the predominant organisms in the stool of breast-fed infants, exceeding enterobacteria by a ratio of 1,000:1, whereas enterobacteria were the predominant organisms in formula-fed infants, exceeding bifidobacteria by approximately 10:1. At 1 month of age, bifidobacteria were the most prevalent organisms in both groups but the number of these organisms in the stool of bottle-fed infants was approximately one tenth that of breast-fed infants. The properties of breast milk that promote the growth of bifidobacteria and suppress the growth of coliform and other potentially pathogenic organisms, theoretically, would help to minimize the incidence of neonatal diseases caused by these organisms. The results would support the advantages of breast-feeding for optimal care of newborn infants.