Reduced occurrence of early atopic dermatitis because of immunoactive prebiotics among low-atopy-risk infants

BackgroundMost infants developing atopic dermatitis have a low risk for atopy. Primary prevention of atopic dermatitis is difficult.ObjectiveTo assess the effect of supplementation of an infant and follow-on formula with prebiotic and immunoactive oligosaccharides on the occurrence of atopic dermatitis in the first year of life.MethodsHealthy term infants from 5 European countries with low atopy risk were recruited before the age of 8 weeks, either having started with formula feeding or being on full breast-feeding (breast-feeding group). Formula-fed infants were randomized to feeding with a regular formula containing a specific mixture of neutral oligosaccharides and pectin-derived acidic oligosaccharides (prebiotic formula group) or regular formula without oligosaccharides (control formula group).ResultsA total of 414 infants were randomized to the prebiotic group and 416 infants to the control group. A total of 300 infants were followed in the breast-feeding group. Up to the first birthday, atopic dermatitis occurred in significantly fewer infants from the prebiotic group (5.7%) than from the control group (9.7%; P = .04). The cumulative incidence of atopic dermatitis in the prebiotic group was in the low range of the breast-feeding group (7.3%). In a Cox regression model, the rate of atopic dermatitis was significantly lower by 44% in the prebiotic group versus the control group (P = .04). The number needed to prevent 1 case of atopic dermatitis by supplementation of prebiotics was 25 infants.ConclusionFormula supplementation with a specific mixture of oligosaccharides was effective as primary prevention of atopic dermatitis in low atopy risk infants.