Effects of growing-up milk supplemented with prebiotics and LCPUFAs on infections in young children

• Main Authors: Chatchatee, P., Lee, Way Seah, Carrilho, E., Kosuwon, P., Simakachorn, N., Yavuz, Y., Schouten, B., Logtens-de Graaff, P., Szajewska, H.
• Format: Article
• Published: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins 2014
• Subjects: R Medicine; Child health. Child health services
• Online Access: http://eprints.um.edu.my/10873/; http://journals.lww.com/jpgn/Abstract/2014/04000/Effects_of_Growing_Up_Milk_Supplemented_With.11.aspx
• Institution: Universiti Malaya

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of growing-up milk (GUM) with added short-chain galacto-oligosaccharides (scGOS)/long-chain fructo-oligosaccharides (lcFOS) (9:1) (Immunofortis) and n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs) on the occurrence of infections in healthy children attending day care centres. Methods: In a randomised double-blind controlled, parallel, multicountry intervention study, 767 healthy children, ages 11 to 29 months, received GUM with scGOS/lcFOS/LCPUFAs (the active group, n = 388), GUM without scGOS/lcFOS/LCPUFAs (the control group, n = 379), or cow's milk (n = 37) for 52 weeks. The primary outcome measure was the number of episodes of upper respiratory tract infections or gastrointestinal infections based on a combination of subject's illness symptoms reported by the parents during the intervention period. Results: Children in the active group compared with the control group had a decreased risk of developing at least 1 infection (299/388 77% vs 313/379 83%, respectively, relative risk 0.93, 95% confidence interval CI 0.87-1.00; logistic regression P = 0.03). There was a trend toward a reduction (P = 0.07) in the total number of infections in the active group, which was significant when confirmed by one of the investigators (268/388 69% vs 293/379 77%, respectively, relative risk 0.89, 95% CI 0.82-0.97; P = 0.004, post hoc). More infectious episodes were observed in the cow's milk group, when compared with both GUM groups (34/37 92% vs 612/767 80%, respectively, relative risk 1.15, 95% CI 1.04-1.28). Conclusions: This is the first study in children to show a reduced risk of infection following consumption of GUM supplemented with scGOS/lcFOS/n-3 LCPUFAs. The borderline statistical significance justifies a new study to confirm this finding.