Findings based on comparison to standard cow’s milk formula in high-risk infants
FRIDAY, Feb. 5, 2016 (HealthDay News) — A partially hydrolysed formula containing a specific mixture of oligosaccharides does not prevent eczema in high-risk infants, according to a study published online Jan. 27 in Allergy.
Robert J. Boyle, M.B., Ch.B., Ph.D., from Imperial College London, and colleagues evaluated whether partially hydrolysed whey formula containing oligosaccharides (pHF-OS; 0.8 g/100 ml) can prevent eczema in infants at high risk for allergic disease. High-risk infants were randomized to pHF-OS formula (432 participants) or control formula (standard cow’s milk formula; 431 participants) until 6 months of age if formula was introduced before 18 weeks of age.
The researchers found that eczema occurred by 12 months in similar percent of infants in both groups (30.8 percent in the pHF-OS group versus 30.3 percent with control formula; odds ratio, 0.99; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.71 to 1.37; P > 0.94). Similar results were seen in examining infants randomized at 0 to 4 weeks. pHF-OS did not change most immune markers; however, pHF-OS reduced cow’s milk-specific immunoglobulin G1 (P < 0.0001) and increased regulatory T cell and plasmacytoid dendritic cell percentages.
“pHF-OS does not prevent eczema in the first year in high-risk infants,” the authors write.
Several authors report financial ties to nutrition companies, including Nutricia Research, which funded the study.
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