Infant formula enriched with milk fat globule membrane, long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, synbiotics, gangliosides, nucleotides and sialic acid reduces infections during the first 18 months of life: The COGNIS study

Abstract

Special thanks to all the parents who collaborated and granted their confidence upon the EURISTIKOS Excellence Centre for Paediatric Research, University of Granada, the children for their patience and their smiles. Thanks to all the collaborators of the COGNIS-team, and Laboratorios Ordesa, S.L. for funding support.Functional nutrients like synbiotics or milk-fat globule membrane (MFGM) affect positively host immunity, modifying intestinal microbioma and reducing early childhood infections. We compared effects of an experimental enriched-infant formula with long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, MFGM, synbiotics, sialic acid, nucleotides and gangliosides to a standard infant formula and breastfeeding regarding infections incidence and evolution in infants until 18 months of age. 170 healthy infants were enrolled in a RCT to receive either a bioactive functional nutrients enriched infant formula (EF, n = 85) or a standard formula (SF, n = 85). 50 breastfed (BF) infants were also enrolled. At age 12 months, EF group compared to SF and BF groups showed a lower incidence of infectious episodes. Moreover, they also presented less incidence of respiratory tract infections and gastrointestinal infections than SF infants, reducing risk by 30.2% and 32.5%, respectively. Infants fed with an EF seem to have reduced incidence of certain infections at 12 months of age.Laboratorios Ordesa, S.L.COGNIS-tea