The microflora in milk from mothers and the gastro-intestinal tract of their infants.

The indigenous microflora appears to be especially relevant in infants that develop a microflora balance in the lumen of the GI-tract during first months of life. Next to improvement of the mucosal barrier function, the microflora population in the GI-tract is enhanced by the generation of immunophysiologic regulation in the gut.
This has led to the introduction of novel therapeutic interventions based on the consumption of cultures of beneficial live microorganisms that act as probiotics.
There seems to be some preliminary evidence that oral and/or gut bacteria can enter the uterine environment suggesting that the gastrointestinal tract not only functions as a barrier against antigens from microorganisms and food but that the barrier is also involved in the selective passage of micro-organisms to the blood.
Although highly speculative, this would mean that the administration of probiotics to pregnant females might exert a direct influence on the development of the infant gut microflora through the transference of selected strains to neonates. In addition, breast milk has been suggested as an important factor in the initiation, development and composition of the neonatal gut microflora. Up to date several scientific papers have suggested that breastmilk might be the source of commensal and/or potential probiotic bacteria, since bacteria commonly isolated from breastmilk include staphylococci, streptococci, micrococci, lactobacilli and enterococci.

The administration of probiotics to breastfeeding females exert a direct influence on the development of the infant gut microflora through the transference of selected strains.

2, 4, 6 weeks after birth

A group of healthy lactating women will consume a capsule of probiotics and a group of healthy lactating women will consume a placebo. The reference group will receive no supplementation at all during 6 weeks.


1. Study intervention

- Nutrition: the probiotic product is the commercially available FERROSAN probiotic powder.


- The different intervention groups



A) Reference: 30 breastfeeding mother/child pairs.



B) Placebo: 10 breastfeeding mothers consuming placebo (powder dissolved in boiling milk, consumed after cooling)



C) Treatment: 10 breastfeeding mothers consuming probiotic powder supplemented milk.



2. Samples

A) Mothers Breastmilk (5-10 ml) at 4 and 6 weeks of study



B) Infant fecal samples (ca. 5g) after receiving 4 and 6 weeks of breastfeeding (at least 75%) and 2, 4 and 6 weeks in case of the reference group.