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 <0.5 mg/l) were examined during the first 12 weeks of life. In breast-fed infants bifidobacteria was predominant, counts ofEscherichia coli were low, and other bacteria were rarely present. Infants receiving fortified cow-milk preparation had high counts ofEscherichia coli, counts and isolation frequency of bifidobacteria were low and other bacteria were frequently isolated. In those on unfortified cow-milk preparation isolation frequency ofEscherichia coli, bifidobacteria and bacteroides was comparable with that in breast-fed infants; however, counts ofEscherichia 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.
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Mevissen-Verhage, E.A.E., Marcelis, J.H., Harmsen-Van Amerongen, W.C.M. et al. Effect of iron on neonatal gut flora during the first three months of life. Eur. J. Clin. Microbiol. 4, 273–278 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02013651
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02013651