Similar Occurrence of Febrile Episodes Reported in Non-Atopic Children at Three to Five Years of Age after Prebiotics Supplemented Infant Formula

PLoS One. 2015 Jun 15;10(6):e0129927. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0129927. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

This is a follow up study of a multicenter randomised placebo-controlled trial in seven centres in five West European countries. The RCT assessed the effect of infant formula supplemented with a mixture of prebiotics (with neutral short-chain and long-chain oligosaccharides and pectin-derived acidic oligosaccharides) during infancy in term-born children (n=1130). In the follow-up study 672 children (60% of the study population) participated: 232 (56%) from the prebiotics group (PG), 243 (58%) from the control group (CG), and 197 (66%) from the non-randomised breast-fed group (BG). The primary outcome was the occurrence of febrile episodes at three to five years of age prospectively documented by the parents: in the PG 1.17 (interquartile range 0.50-2.08) episodes per year versus 1.20 (0.52-2.57) in the CG; and 1.48 (0.65-2.60) in the BG. This specific prebiotics mixture given during infancy in healthy non-atopic subjects does not decrease febrile episodes and therefore seems not to prevent infection between their third and fifth birthday.

Publication types

  • Multicenter Study
  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Child, Preschool
  • Dietary Supplements / adverse effects*
  • Double-Blind Method
  • Europe / epidemiology
  • Female
  • Fever / epidemiology*
  • Fever / etiology*
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Infant Formula / administration & dosage*
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Male
  • Prebiotics / adverse effects*
  • Prospective Studies
  • Risk Factors

Substances

  • Prebiotics

Grants and funding

The study was funded by Danone Research. The funder had a role in the design of the study, but had no role in the data collection, decision to publish, and preparation of the manuscript.