Impact of early life nutrition on growth and intestinal microflora composition in low-birth-weight infants

Abstract

We investigated the effect of early life nutrition on growth and intestinal microflora in low-birth-weight infants. Eleven preterm newborns (birth weight 1456 ± 293 g, gestational age 30.6 ± 1.2 weeks) received special preterm infant formula as a sole diet from the first enteral feeding until the end of the second month of life (preterm infant formula group (PF group)). Thirteen infants (birth weight 1728 ± 276 g; gestational age 32.6 ± 1.4 weeks) received standard casein-dominant infant formulas available in Estonia (standard formula group (SF group)). Growth parameters were measured at the age of 1, 2, 3, 4 weeks and 2 months. Faecal samples for short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and bacterial cultures were collected at the age of 6 days and 2 months. Two results have been received: better growth and better microbial colonization in the group of preterm infant formula. There was significantly higher weight gain in the PF group at the age of 2 months (1814 ± 566 g) than in the SF group (1255 ± 365 g). The relative amount of coagulase negative staphylococci was significantly higher in the SF group at the age of 6 days in comparison with the PF group. At the age of 6 days the prevalence of faecal acetic acid was 98% of total concentration of short chain fatty acids in the PF group and 87% in the SF group (p < 0.05), which shows the higher prevalence of anaerobic microbes in the PF group. Thus, a nutrient-enriched preterm formula has a positive effect on the intestinal bacterial colonization and growth of low-birth-weight infants.