Effect of Infant Formula Supplemented With Prebiotics and Probiotics on Incidence of Respiratory Tract Infections: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials Publisher Pubmed



Rashidi K¹ ; Darand M² ; Garousi N³ ; Dehghani A^{4, 5} ; Alizadeh S⁶ Show Affiliations
Source: Complementary Therapies in Medicine Published:2021

Abstract

Background: Previous investigations have proposed that the consumption of infant formula supplemented with prebiotics, probiotics and synbiotics (PRO-formula) may have protective impacts on respiratory tract infections (RTIs). Nevertheless, the findings of studies are contradictory. This meta-analysis aimed to explore the influence of PRO-formula on RTIs in infants by pooling randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Methods: To obtain eligible RCTs, Scopus and PubMed databases were systematically searched from their inception to November 2020. A random-effects model was applied to pool the relative risks (RR) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) for RTIs following consumption of PRO-formula. Results: A total of 15 RCTs, with a total sample size of 3805 participants (1957 for intervention and 1848 for placebo), were included in the present meta-analysis. In the overall analysis, in comparison to placebo, consumption of PRO-formula had a significant protective impact against RTIs (RR = 0.89, 95%CI: 0.82–0.97) in infants, with a remarkable evidence of heterogeneity across studies (I2 = 61.4%, P < 0.001). In the meta-regression analysis, the effect of PRO-formula on RTIs was not modified by the follow-up duration. No evidence for publication bias was detected. Conclusions: Administration of PRO-formula may be a potential approach for the prevention of respiratory tract infections in infants. © 2021