Table 3.

Summary of beneficial effect of MIFs enriched with Prebiotics.

MIFs Enriched with Prebiotics—Key Points
• Prebiotics stimulate the establishment and maintenance of a healthy gut environment
• Commensal microbes are essential for maturation of the immune system
• Prebiotics act through selective fermentation in the GI tract, which stimulates the growth of bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli
• Different types of prebiotics substrates act differently on the growth of intestinal bacteria
• Prebiotics enriched IFs are associated with lower intestinal pH, with a SCFAs pattern more similar to breastfed infants
• Prebiotics enriched IFs are not associated with increased frequency of stool
• Prebiotic supplemented formulas may be considered in infants with hard stool