title: Effect of iron on neonatal gut flora during the first three months of life.
abstract: To study the effect of milk supplemented with iron on neonatal gut flora, faecal specimens of ten infants receiving breast milk, six receiving a cow-milk preparation supplemented with iron (5 mg/l) and seven receiving the same product without iron supplement (iron concentration less than 0.5 mg/l) were examined during the first 12 weeks of life. In breast-fed infants bifidobacteria was predominant, counts of Escherichia coli were low, and other bacteria were rarely present. Infants receiving fortified cow-milk preparation had high counts of Escherichia coli, counts and isolation frequency of bifidobacteria were low and other bacteria were frequently isolated. In those on unfortified cow-milk preparation isolation frequency of Escherichia coli, bifidobacteria and bacteroides was comparable with that in breast-fed infants; however, counts of Escherichia coli were high. It is concluded that the faecal flora of infants fed unfortified cow-milk preparation acquires characteristics of that found in breast-fed infants.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001439:Bacteroides / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001644:Bifidobacterium / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002417:Cattle; D003013:Clostridium / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004755:Enterobacteriaceae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007223:Infant; D007225:Infant Food; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007422:Intestines / Q000382:microbiology*; D007501:Iron / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007777:Lactobacillaceae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008892:Milk; D008895:Milk, Human
chemical_list: D007501:Iron