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International Journal of Nutrology
Review
DOI: 10.1055/s-0041-1735640
Submitted: 03-07-2022
Published: 03-07-2022

Infant Formulas: A Long Story

Child and Adolescent Institute, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
Child and Adolescent Institute, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
breast feeding breast-milk substitutes bottle feeding infant formula infant

Abstract

The ideal feeding for infants is the breast milk because it has a balanced nutritional composition, which includes all essential nutrients, in addition to many bioactive factors that contribute to the growth and development of the child, as well as to the maturation of the gastrointestinal tract. Among them are immunological factors, antimicrobials and anti-inflammatory components, digestive enzymes, various types of hormones, and growth factors. If human milk is not available, there is an indication of infant formulas that should follow the recommendations of the Codex Alimentarius of the Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization (WHO). In a century of history, infant formulas have gone from a simple combination of cow milk (evaporated or condensed) and water to highly sophisticated products, elaborated by very refined technological processes to produce lactose-free, antiregurgitation, based on soy protein, hydrolyzed protein in various grades, and only amino acids formulas. The major milestones in the modification of infant formulas were the incorporation of nutrients/ingredients such as: iron, nucleotides, alpha lactalbumin, long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, prebiotics, probiotics, postbiotics, oligosaccharides similar to human milk, lactoferrin, and milk fat globule membrane. Many of these ingredients have shown benefits on the immunological system. Despite the technological advances, breast milk remains irreplaceable, being the gold standard for infant feeding.

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How to Cite

Falcão, M. C., & Zamberlan, P. (2022). Infant Formulas: A Long Story. International Journal of Nutrology, 14(2), 61–70. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0041-1735640