Infant complementary feeding of prebiotics for the microbiome and immunity

Complementary feeding transitions infants from neonatal nutrition to complex nutrition, providing essential nutrients to the infant and the developing gut microbiome, while influencing immunity and immune development. Some of the earliest microbial colonisers readily ferment select oligosaccharides, influencing the ongoing assembly of the microbiome. Non-digestible oligosaccharides in prebiotic supplemented formula and human milk oligosaccharides promote commensal immune-modulating bacteria such as Bifidobacterium, which predictably decrease in abundance during weaning and the development of tolerance in the immune system. Transitioning to structurally complex, bifidogenic, non-digestible carbohydrates may present an opportunity to feed commensal bacteria and support balanced concentrations of beneficial short chain fatty acid concentrations and vitamins that support gut barrier maturation and immunity throughout the complementary feeding window.