Nutritional composition for infants delivered via caesarean section

Abstract

The present invention relates to methods for feeding of infants delivered via caesarean section and to compositions to be administered to infants delivered via caesarean section and in particular to the use of a product obtained by fermentation of milk, whey, whey protein, whey protein hydrolysate, casein, casein hydrolysate and/or lactose by lactic acid producing bacteria. Thereby it is possible to stimulate a fast colonisation of the intestinal microbiota of said infants.

1 - 21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . A composition comprising:
 (a) a milk-derived product obtainable by fermenting a milk substrate with lactic acid producing bacteria, wherein the substrate comprises at least one substrate selected from the group consisting of milk, whey, whey protein, whey protein hydrolysate, casein, casein hydrolysate, lactose, and combinations thereof;   (b) less than 10 3  cfu lactic acid producing bacteria per g dry weight of the composition, and   (c) at least two non-digestible oligosaccharide selected from the group consisting of fructooligosaccharides, galacto-oligosaccharides, gluco-oligosaccharides, arabino-oligosaccharides, mannan-oligosaccharides, xylo-oligosaccharides, fuco-oligosaccharides, arabinogalactooligosaccharides, glucomanno-oligosaccharides, galactomanno-oligosaccharides, sialic acid comprising oligosaccharides and uronic acid oligosaccharides.   
     
     
         23 . The composition according to  claim 22 , wherein the lactic acid producing bacteria comprises  Bifidobacterium breve.    
     
     
         24 . The composition according to  claim 23 , comprising  B. breve  CNCM 1-2219. 
     
     
         25 . The composition according to  claim 23 , wherein the lactic acid producing bacteria further comprises  Streptococcus thermophilus.    
     
     
         26 . The composition according to  claim 24 , wherein the lactic acid producing bacteria further comprises  Streptococcus thermophilus.    
     
     
         27 . The composition according to  claim 22 , comprising galacto-oligosaccharides. 
     
     
         28 . The composition according to  claim 27 , comprising fructo-oligosaccharides. 
     
     
         29 . The composition according to  claim 22 , comprising 0.5 to 7.5 g of non-digestible oligosaccharide per 100 g dry weight of the composition. 
     
     
         30 . The composition according to  claim 22 , comprising 5 to 25% of the total calories from protein, 25 to 60% of the total calories from fat, and 30 to 70% of the total calories from digestible carbohydrate. 
     
     
         31 . The composition according to  claim 22 , wherein the composition has a viscosity of 1 to 6 mPa·s at a shear rate of 95 s ′ at 20 ″C. 
     
     
         32 . The composition according to  claim 22 , wherein the milk-derived product is obtained by a process comprising;
 (i) inoculating an aqueous medium comprising the at least one milk substrate and having a pH between approximately 4 and 8 with between 1×10 to 5×10 cfu/ml of lactic acid producing bacteria ml;   (ii) incubating the mixture of (i) under aerobic or anaerobic conditions at a temperature of approximately 20 ”C to 50 ”C for at least 2 h; and, optionally,   (iii) inactivating and/or physically removing living cells of the lactic acid producing bacteria from the aqueous medium.   
     
     
         33 . The composition according to  claim 32 , wherein the lactic acid producing bacteria comprises  Bifidobacterium breve.    
     
     
         34 . The composition according to  claim 33 , comprising  B. breve  CNCM 1-2219. 
     
     
         35 . The composition according to  claim 32 , wherein the lactic acid producing bacteria comprises  Streptococcus thermophilus.    
     
     
         36 . A method providing nutrition to an infant delivered via caesarean section comprising administering to an infant in need thereof the composition according to  claim 22 . 
     
     
         37 . The method according  36 , wherein the composition is administered enterally. 
     
     
         38 . The method according to  claim 36 , wherein the infant is less than one week of age. 
     
     
         39 . A method for (i) treatment and/or prevention of a disorder in infants delivered via caesarean section and/or (ii) the stimulation of health in infants delivered via caesarean section, comprising administering to an infant in need thereof the composition according to  claim 22 . 
     
     
         40 . The method according to  claim 39 , wherein the disorder is selected from the group consisting of allergy, eczema, asthma, infection and diarrhoea. 
     
     
         41 . The method according to  claim 40 , wherein the disorder is allergy. 
     
     
         42 . The method according to  claim 39 , wherein the stimulation of health comprises induction of intestinal tolerance against lactic acid producing bacteria and/or improving colonisation of a microbiota rich in lactic acid producing bacteria.