Research Article


DOI :10.26650/jchild.2025.1583034   IUP :10.26650/jchild.2025.1583034    Full Text (PDF)

Effect of Prebiotic-Added Foods on Infant Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Doğan Çağrı TanrıverdiAysu Yıldız KaraahmetFatma Şule Bilgiç

Objective: In cases where breastfeeding is not possible, one of the recommended strategies to change the composition of the nutritional baby’s gut microbiota and bring it closer to breastfed infants is to enrich the infant’s food with prebiotics. The aim of this study was to systematically review the results of its effect on growth, gait and gastrointestinal (GI) system in infants fed with prebiotic-added formula and to perform a meta-analysis of the available evidence.

Materials and Methods: The literature review for this systematic review was conducted between January and February 2023 using five electronic databases: PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, WOS and ULAKBİM. Articles were scanned using MeSH-based keywords. Only Randomized Controlled Trials conducted in the last five years were included. The data were analyzed using the Review Manager computer program (Version 5.3).

Results: The analysis included six studies involving 1399 formula-fed infants. In the post-intervention analysis of the included studies, there were no significant differences in weight (SMD: −0.21 95% CI: −0.45 to 0.03, Z=1.68, p=0.09), stool frequency (SMD:0.34 95% CI:−2. 89 to 3.58, Z=4.58, p=0.84), but there was a significant difference in the stool consistency (SMD:−0.50 95% CI:−0.73 to −0.27, Z=4.24, p<0.00001).

Conclusion: This systematic review and meta-analysis confirmed that prebiotic-enriched infant formulas are likely to provide benefits for healthy infants. The studies indicate that the inclusion of prebiotics in formulas improves stool consistency. However, no significant effects were found on growth or stool frequency. These findings suggest that further research is needed to better understand the effects of prebiotics on infant gastrointestinal health.


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APA

Tanrıverdi, D.Ç., Karaahmet, A.Y., & Bilgiç, F.Ş. (2025). Effect of Prebiotic-Added Foods on Infant Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Journal of Child, 25(1), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.26650/jchild.2025.1583034


AMA

Tanrıverdi D Ç, Karaahmet A Y, Bilgiç F Ş. Effect of Prebiotic-Added Foods on Infant Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Journal of Child. 2025;25(1):1-9. https://doi.org/10.26650/jchild.2025.1583034


ABNT

Tanrıverdi, D.Ç.; Karaahmet, A.Y.; Bilgiç, F.Ş. Effect of Prebiotic-Added Foods on Infant Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Journal of Child, [Publisher Location], v. 25, n. 1, p. 1-9, 2025.


Chicago: Author-Date Style

Tanrıverdi, Doğan Çağrı, and Aysu Yıldız Karaahmet and Fatma Şule Bilgiç. 2025. “Effect of Prebiotic-Added Foods on Infant Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.” Journal of Child 25, no. 1: 1-9. https://doi.org/10.26650/jchild.2025.1583034


Chicago: Humanities Style

Tanrıverdi, Doğan Çağrı, and Aysu Yıldız Karaahmet and Fatma Şule Bilgiç. Effect of Prebiotic-Added Foods on Infant Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.” Journal of Child 25, no. 1 (Aug. 2025): 1-9. https://doi.org/10.26650/jchild.2025.1583034


Harvard: Australian Style

Tanrıverdi, DÇ & Karaahmet, AY & Bilgiç, FŞ 2025, 'Effect of Prebiotic-Added Foods on Infant Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials', Journal of Child, vol. 25, no. 1, pp. 1-9, viewed 12 Aug. 2025, https://doi.org/10.26650/jchild.2025.1583034


Harvard: Author-Date Style

Tanrıverdi, D.Ç. and Karaahmet, A.Y. and Bilgiç, F.Ş. (2025) ‘Effect of Prebiotic-Added Foods on Infant Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials’, Journal of Child, 25(1), pp. 1-9. https://doi.org/10.26650/jchild.2025.1583034 (12 Aug. 2025).


MLA

Tanrıverdi, Doğan Çağrı, and Aysu Yıldız Karaahmet and Fatma Şule Bilgiç. Effect of Prebiotic-Added Foods on Infant Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.” Journal of Child, vol. 25, no. 1, 2025, pp. 1-9. [Database Container], https://doi.org/10.26650/jchild.2025.1583034


Vancouver

Tanrıverdi DÇ, Karaahmet AY, Bilgiç FŞ. Effect of Prebiotic-Added Foods on Infant Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Journal of Child [Internet]. 12 Aug. 2025 [cited 12 Aug. 2025];25(1):1-9. Available from: https://doi.org/10.26650/jchild.2025.1583034 doi: 10.26650/jchild.2025.1583034


ISNAD

Tanrıverdi, DoğanÇağrı - Karaahmet, AysuYıldız - Bilgiç, FatmaŞule. Effect of Prebiotic-Added Foods on Infant Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials”. Journal of Child 25/1 (Aug. 2025): 1-9. https://doi.org/10.26650/jchild.2025.1583034



TIMELINE


Submitted11.04.2024
Accepted05.03.2025
Published Online08.07.2025

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