Research Library

How Reliable Are Clinical Trials on Fortified Infant Formula? A Systematic Review of Bias and Industry Ties

Do the studies behind “enriched” infant formulas hold up to scrutiny? This systematic review assessed 40 trials and found consistently high risk of bias and...

Karen Harris

Do Special Infant Formulas Help With Colic, Reflux, and Constipation? What the ESPGHAN Nutrition Committee Says

Marketed formulas for spitting up, colic, and constipation are common, but do they work? This ESPGHAN position paper weighs the evidence and finds most infants...

Karen Harris

Synbiotics, LC-PUFA & MFGM Formula: Slower Microbiome, Better Neurodevelopment?

Blog Overview Summary: The COGNIS trial found that a formula combining MFGM, synbiotics, and LC-PUFA slowed gut microbiota maturation toward a breastfed-like pattern in some...

Karen Harris

Less Iron, Less Protein — Does MFGM Formula Still Support Healthy Growth?

Can a formula with added MFGM but lower iron and protein still support healthy infant growth? This double-blind RCT with 373 infants found no clinically...

Karen Harris

Formula Osmolality & NEC: The Assumed Risk That Evidence Doesn't Support

High osmolality in fortified infant feeds has long been assumed to raise the risk of feeding intolerance and NEC in preterm infants - yet the...

Karen Harris

The Science Behind Baby-Led Weaning Is More Complicated Than You Think

Blog Overview Summary: Baby-led weaning - letting infants self-feed finger foods from six months instead of being spoon-fed purées - is growing in popularity, but...

Karen Harris

Palm Oil in Baby Formula: What Does the Science Actually Say?

This 2019 ESPGHAN position paper systematically reviewed 33 clinical studies on palm oil and SN-2-palmitate (beta-palmitate) in infant formula. Palm oil is consistently linked to...

Karen Harris

Bovine MFGM in Infant Formula: Effects on Gut Microbiome and Metabolome

This exploratory sub-study examined the gut microbiome and fecal metabolome of infants fed a bovine MFGM-supplemented low-protein formula, a standard formula, or breast milk as...

Karen Harris

HMOs in Infant Formula: Effects on Growth and Morbidity

This was the first randomized controlled trial to test infant formula supplemented with two human milk oligosaccharides (2′FL and LNnT) simultaneously. Growth was fully comparable...

Karen Harris

Human Milk Oligosaccharides (HMOs) in Infant Formula: Effects on Gut Microbiota and Antibiotic Use

Formula-fed infants who received a formula enriched with two human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) developed a gut microbiome more similar to breastfed infants during the first...

Karen Harris

Protein Content, Bottle Feeding, and Early Growth Patterns

This systematic review of 18 studies examined whether specific formula feeding practices are associated with rapid weight gain during the first two years of life....

Karen Harris

Prebiotics in Infant Formula: Effects on Gut Microbiota and Growth

This systematic review and meta-analysis of 30 randomized controlled trials evaluated the effects of prebiotic-supplemented cow’s milk-based infant formula in infants ≤6 months of age....

Karen Harris
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