Pediatria pre prax 2/2021

The role of biotics in the early stages of life

The early stages of life are a period of rapid growth and development. From the first day of pregnancy until 2 years of age, the so called „first 1,000 days“, nutrition has a key impact on optimal physical growth and body composition, cognitive development, immune maturation and development of the gastrointestinal system. Breast milk is the best source of nutrition for all infants and breastfeeding has numerous short- and long-term benefits for both, infants and mothers. Intense research on human milk and lactation over the last decades resulted into major innovations in infant formula. Human milk contains approximately 200 complex oligosaccharides believed to stimulate the growth and establishment of a protective microbiota in the infant gut. Together with specific prebiotics and postbiotics, this new concept in infant formula most closely reflects complexity, diversity and functionality of human milk. Still, infant formula will always remain a compromise, breast milk will be the best for children.

Keywords: human milk, human milk oligosaccharides, prebiotics, postbiotics, microbiota