Effect of a Fermented Infant Formula Containing Viable Bifidobacteria on the Fecal Flora Composition and pH of Healthy Full‐Term Infants

Abstract

Summary: We assessed the growth, tolerance, and acceptability as well as fecal flora composition and stool pH of 20 healthy full‐term infants fed with a fermented whey‐adapted infant formula containing viable bifidobacteria (10 6 /g of powder) during the first 2 months of life. This fermented infant formula, first biologically acidified by Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus helveticus , was compared to a whey‐adapted, nonacidified, low‐phosphate infant formula in a double‐blind, randomized controlled study. The results were compared to a control group (n = 14) of fully breast‐fed infants. The fermented whey‐adapted formula containing viable bifidobacteria induced a prevalence of colonization with bifidobacteria at 1 month of age similar to that of breast‐fed infants (12/20 versus 8/14) but significantly higher than in the group fed the standard infant formula (4/20). The mean bacterial count of bifidobacteria was similar in all colonized infants; however, fecal pH was significantly lower in the breast‐fed infants than in the nonacidified bottle‐fed infants. This kind of infant formula was well tolerated and promoted a normal growth during the first 2 months.