BEYOND BREASTFEEDING: A NARRATIVE REVIEW OF EVIDENCE-BASED NUTRITION APPROACHES TO SUPPORT HEALTHY GUT MICROBIOTA IN NON-BREASTFED INFANTS
Keywords:
Gut microbiota, formula feeding, human milk oligosaccharides, prebiotics, probioticsAbstract
Background: During pregnancy, maternal microbiota transfer, and modifiable factors such as diet may contribute to fetal development. This review aims to clarify how maternal gut microbiota and diet interact to influence fetal nutrition and long-term health outcomes. Methods: A This narrative review synthesizes current evidence on interventions that support healthy gut microbiota development in non-breastfed infants. The Keywords included “infant gut microbiota”, “prebiotic”, “probiotic”, “synbiotic”, “human milk oligosaccharides”, “partially hydrolyzed protein formulas”, and “complementary feeding”. Results: Among the reviewed interventions, formulas supplemented with HMO analogs (2′-fucosyllactose and lacto-N-neotetraose) and galacto-/fructo-oligosaccharide blends consistently promoted a more breastfed-like gut microbiota characterized by increased Bifidobacterium abundance. Probiotic- and synbiotic-containing formulas also demonstrated beneficial microbiota modulation, although effects varied according to strain and formulation. Conclusion: HMO- and prebiotic-supplemented formulas show the strongest evidence for promoting healthy gut microbiota development in non-breastfed infants. Further studies are needed to evaluate long-term outcomes and effectiveness across diverse populations.
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