title: Similar Occurrence of Febrile Episodes Reported in Non-Atopic Children at Three to Five Years of Age after Prebiotics Supplemented Infant Formula.
abstract: This is a follow up study of a multicenter randomised placebo-controlled trial in seven centres in five West European countries. The RCT assessed the effect of infant formula supplemented with a mixture of prebiotics (with neutral short-chain and long-chain oligosaccharides and pectin-derived acidic oligosaccharides) during infancy in term-born children (n=1130). In the follow-up study 672 children (60% of the study population) participated: 232 (56%) from the prebiotics group (PG), 243 (58%) from the control group (CG), and 197 (66%) from the non-randomised breast-fed group (BG). The primary outcome was the occurrence of febrile episodes at three to five years of age prospectively documented by the parents: in the PG 1.17 (interquartile range 0.50-2.08) episodes per year versus 1.20 (0.52-2.57) in the CG; and 1.48 (0.65-2.60) in the BG. This specific prebiotics mixture given during infancy in healthy non-atopic subjects does not decrease febrile episodes and therefore seems not to prevent infection between their third and fifth birthday.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Beatrix Children's Hospital, UMC Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Margriet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: van Stuijvenberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Beatrix Children's Hospital, UMC Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stam
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Pulmonology and Immunology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Grüber
authors.affiliation: NICU, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mosca
authors.affiliation: Centre for Infant Nutrition, Macedonio Melloni Hospital, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Sertac
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Arslanoglu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neonatology, Spedali Civili, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Gaetano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chirico
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, University Children's Hospital, Zürich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Christian P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Braegger
authors.affiliation: Schwarzach Hospital, Schwarzach, Austria.
authors.forename: Josef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Riedler
authors.affiliation: Danone Nutricia Research, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Günther
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Boehm
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Beatrix Children's Hospital, UMC Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Pieter J J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Sauer
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D019587:Dietary Supplements / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D041943:Infant Formula / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D056692:Prebiotics / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D056692:Prebiotics