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Enriched formula improved children's respiratory health
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Formula enriched with docosahexaenoic acid, prebiotics polydextrose and galacto-oligosaccharides, and yeast beta-glucan, improved respiratory health among young children, according to study findings in Pediatrics.
The study cohort consisted of 264 children, aged 3 to 4 years, who attended day care and consumed cow’s milk or a cow’s milk-based beverage for up to 3 months prior to study enrollment. Fei Li, MD, PhD, of Shanghai Children’s Medical Center in Shanghai, China, and colleagues randomized children in the study to receive either a follow-up formula enriched with 25 mg of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a 1.2 g blend of polydextrose and galacto-oligosaccharides (PDX, GOS), and 8.7 mg of yeast beta-glucan per serving, or a non-enriched, cow’s milk-based beverage for 28 weeks.
Children who received the enriched formula had fewer and shorter episodes of acute respiratory infection than children who received cow’s milk. Fewer children who drank enriched formula were treated with systemic antibiotics.
Twenty-nine percent of children who drank enriched formula missed days of day care due to illness, compared with 37% of children who drank a cow’s milk-based beverage.
Children who consumed enriched formula had higher levels of serum IL-10 and a higher white cell blood count at 28 weeks compared with those who drank cow’s milk.
No lower respiratory infections were diagnosed and no children were hospitalized during the study. One food allergy was reported. Researchers found no differences in stool consistency or frequency between the two groups.
“Normal diet often contains naturally occurring prebiotics, beta-glucan, and DHA. However, the levels of these components vary according to the quality of the diet and may not be sufficient to promote measurable health benefits… The findings in the current study suggest that regular consumption of a follow-up formula enriched with DHA, the prebiotics PDX and GOS, yeast beta-glucan, and essential nutrients may improve respiratory health,” the researchers wrote.
Deolinda M. F. Scalabrin
“A follow-up formula for young children should be taken in the context of a healthy, balanced diet. Immune outcomes such as the ones observed in our study are highly relevant for a child’s overall health and support physical, cognitive, psychological, and social development. They also contribute to improve quality of life of the family and to decrease disruption on the lives of working parents due to school absenteeism,” study researcher Deolinda M. F. Scalabrin, MD, PhD, concluded.
Disclosure: Some of the researchers are employees of Mead Johnson Nutrition.
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