EFFECT OF A FERMENTED INFANT FORMULA CONTAINING VIABLE BIFIDOBACTERIAON THE FECAL FLORA COMPOSITION AND PH OF HEALTHY FULL-TERM INFANTS

We assessed the growth, tolerance, and acceptability as well as fecal flora composition and stool pH of 20 healthy full-term infants fed wit h a fermented whey-adapted infant formula containing viable bifidobact eria (10(6)/g of powder) during the first 2 months of life. This ferme nted infant formula, first biologically acidified by Streptococcus the rmophilus and Lactobacillus helveticus, was compared to a whey-adapted , nonacidified, low-phosphate infant formula in a double-blind, random ized controlled study. The results were compared to a control group (n = 14) of fully breast-fed infants. The fermented whey-adapted formula containing viable bifidobacteria induced a prevalence of colonization with bifidobacteria at 1 month of age similar to that of breast-fed i nfants (12/20 versus 8/14) but significantly higher than in the group fed the standard infant formula (4/20). The mean bacterial count of bi fidobacteria was similar in all colonized infants; however, fecal pH w as significantly lower in the breast-fed infants than in the nonacidif ied bottle-fed infants. This kind of infant formula was well tolerated and promoted a normal growth during the first 2 months.