Articles and Books

This is the first study to evaluate infants with moderate to severe Cow’s Milk protein Allergy (CMPA) fed an Amino Acid based formula (AAF) supplemented with two HMO. The infants achieved normal growth, with some catch-up growth. Apart from a small number of non-serious gastrointestinal adverse events, the formula was tolerated well and had an excellent safety profile.

HMOs are complex carbohydrates found in breast milk1 which are utilized by certain strains of bacteria such as bifidobacteria and allows their proliferation.

The first year of life is a key phase in the development of the microbiome, with breastfeeding having the biggest influence in shaping the gut microbiome in early childhood.

Probiotics are live microorganisms, which when consumed in adequate amounts, confer a health effect on the host. One of the most well-researched probiotic stain is Bifidobacterium lactis, a probiotic bacterium found in the human gut, supported by strong clinical data in infants demonstrating its effects on gut colonisation, immune support, diarrhoea, and necrotising enterocolitis.

The gut microbiome is the totality of microorganisms – bacteria, viruses, protozoa and fungi – and their collective genetic material present in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT).

At the 90th Nestlé Nutrition Institute (NNI) Workshop on “Human Milk: Composition, Clinical Benefits and Future Opportunities, Professor Jose Saavedra* from NNI interviewed Professor Alan Lucas, Emeritus Professor of Paediatric Nutrition and Founder of the Child Nutrition Research Centre at the Institute of Child Health in London.

Food allergies affect around 240-550 million people worldwide. They are most common in infants and children. While in most cases, food allergies cause mild symptoms, some can cause severe reactions, and may even be life-threatening.

Milk and rice were the main dietary components in all Filipino children, contributing up to 60% of energy in the infants from poorer households. Consumption of protein-containing foods and vegetables were typically lower in poorer households. Interventions are required to enable caregivers of young Filipino children to provide complementary foods of high nutritional quality, particularly among children from the poor households.