human
***TASK*** the task is to summarize an input biomedical literature in six sentences 
    ***INPUT*** the input is a biomedical literature 
    ***OUTPUT*** the output is the summary of an input biomedical literature in six sentences 
    ***DOCUMENTATION*** 
    ***EXAMPLES*** 
    Input: Objective . To investigate the effect of 2 different species of probiotics in preventing infections in infants attending child care centers . Methods . A double-blind , placebo-controlled , r and omized trial was conducted from December 1 , 2000 , to September 30 , 2002 , at 14 child care centers in the Beer-Sheva area of Israel in healthy term infants 4 to 10 months old . Infants were assigned r and omly to formula supplemented with Bifidobacterium lactis ( BB-12 ) , Lactobacillus reuteri ( American Type Culture Collection 55730 ) , or no probiotics . Duration of feeding , including follow-up , for each participant was 12 weeks . All infants were fed only the assigned formula and were not breastfed due to parental decision before recruitment to the study . Probiotic or prebiotic food products or supplements were not allowed . Main outcome measures were number of days and number of episodes with fever ( > 38 ° C ) and number of days and number of episodes with diarrhea or respiratory illness . Results . Participants ( n = 201 ) were similar regarding gestational age , birth weight , gender , and previous breastfeeding . The controls ( n = 60 ) , compared with those fed B lactis ( n = 73 ) or L reuteri ( n = 68 ) , had significantly more febrile episodes ( mean [ 95 % confidence interval ] : 0.41 [ 0.28–0.54 ] vs 0.27 [ 0.17–0.37 ] vs 0.11 [ 0.04–0.18 ] , respectively ) . The controls also had more diarrhea episodes ( 0.31 [ 0.22–0.40 ] vs 0.13 [ 0.05–0.21 ] vs 0.02 [ 0.01–0.05 ] , respectively ) and episodes of longer duration ( 0.59 [ 0.34–0.84 ] vs 0.37 [ 0.08–0.66 ] vs 0.15 [ 0.12–0.18 ] days , respectively ) . The L reuteri group , compared with BB-12 or controls , had a significant decrease of number of days with fever , clinic visits , child care absences , and antibiotic prescriptions . Rate and duration of respiratory illnesses did not differ significantly between groups . Conclusions . Child care infants fed a formula supplemented with L reuteri or B lactis had fewer and shorter episodes of diarrhea , with no effect on respiratory illnesses . These effects were more prominent with L reuteri , which was also the only supplement to improve additional morbidity parameters The addition of probiotics to infant formula has been shown to be an efficient way to increase the number of beneficial bacteria in the intestine in order to promote a gut flora resembling that of breast-fed infants . The objective of the present study was to evaluate the safety and tolerance of a combination of two probiotic strains in early infancy . A group of 126 newborns were r and omised to receive a prebiotic-containing starter formula supplemented with Lactobacillus paracasei ssp . paracasei and Bifidobacterium animalis ssp . lactis or the same formula without probiotics for the first 3 months of life . A total of eighty infants continued the study until they were aged 6 months .  Growth measurements were taken monthly at healthy baby clinics . Diaries were used to monitor behaviour , infections , use of antibiotics , as well as stool characteristics . Normal growth occurred in all infants and no statistically significant differences were detected between the probiotics group and the control group for gain in weight , length and head circumference . Infants in the probiotics group produced softer and more frequent stools during the first 3 months of life . No differences were found in crying and sleeping hours , number of parent-diagnosed infections , antibiotic use , visits to the general practitioner and number of adverse events . The use of a prebiotic-containing starter formula supplemented with L. paracasei ssp . paracasei and B. animalis ssp . lactis in early infancy is safe , well tolerated and has no adverse effects on growth and infant behaviour ABSTRACT A healthy intestinal microbiota is considered to be important for priming of the infants ' mucosal and systemic immunity . Breast-fed infants typically have an intestinal microbiota dominated by different Bifidobacterium species . It has been described that allergic infants have different levels of specific Bifidobacterium species than healthy infants . For the accurate quantification of Bifidobacterium adolescentis , Bifidobacterium angulatum , Bifidobacterium bifidum , Bifidobacterium breve , Bifidobacterium catenulatum , Bifidobacterium dentium , Bifidobacterium infantis , and Bifidobacterium longum in fecal sample s , duplex 5′ nuclease assays were developed . The assays , targeting rRNA gene intergenic spacer regions , were vali date d and compared with conventional PCR and fluorescent in situ hybridization methods . The 5′ nuclease assays were subsequently used to determine the relative amounts of different Bifidobacterium species in fecal sample s from infants receiving a st and ard formula or a st and ard formula supplemented with galacto- and fructo-oligosaccharides ( OSF ) . A breast-fed group was studied in parallel as a reference . The results showed a significant increase in the total amount of fecal bifidobacteria ( 54.8 % ± 9.8 % to 73.4 % ± 4.0 % ) in infants receiving the prebiotic formula ( OSF ) , with a diversity of Bifidobacterium species similar to breast-fed infants . The intestinal microbiota of infants who received a st and ard formula seems to resemble a more adult-like distribution of bifidobacteria and contains relatively more B. catenulatum and B. adolescentis ( 2.71 % ± 1.92 % and 8.11 % ± 4.12 % , respectively , versus 0.15 % ± 0.11 % and 1.38 % ± 0.98 % for the OSF group ) . In conclusion , the specific prebiotic infant formula used induces a fecal microbiota that closely resembles the microbiota of breast-fed infants also at the level of the different Bifidobacterium species In this double-blind , r and omized , placebo-controlled study , we investigated the effect of an infant milk formula with 6 g/L short-chain galacto- and long-chain fructo-oligosaccharides [ ( scGOS/lcFOS ) ratio 9:1 ] on the development of the fecal secretory immunoglobulin A ( sIgA ) response and on the composition of the intestinal microbiota in 215 healthy infants during the first 26 wk of life . The infants received breast milk or were r and omized to receive an infant milk formula with or without scGOS/lcFOS . Stool sample s were collected after 8 and 26 wk of intervention . The concentration of fecal sIgA was determined by ELISA , and the composition of the intestinal microbiota was determined by quantitative fluorescent in situ hybridization . The scGOS/lcFOS group and the control group were compared in the statistical analysis . A breast fed group was included as a reference . In total , 187 infants completed the study . After 26 wk of intervention , in infants that were exclusively formula fed , the concentration of sIgA was higher ( P < 0.001 ) in the scGOS/lcFOS group ( 719 microg/g ) than in the control group ( 263 microg/g ) . In addition , the percentages of bifidobacteria were higher in the scGOS/lcFOS group ( 60.4 % ) than in the control group ( 52.6 % , P = 0.04 ) . The percentages of Clostridium spp . were 0.0 and 3.27 % , respectively ( P = 0.006 ) . In conclusion , an infant milk formula with 6 g/L scGOS/lcFOS results in higher concentrations of fecal sIgA , suggesting a positive effect on mucosal immunity A mixture of neutral short chain galactooligosaccharides and long chain fructo-oligosaccharides ( scGOS/lcFOS ) has been shown to have prebiotic and immunomodulatory effects comparable to human milk oligosaccharides . This can be translated into clinical practice as a potential to prevent infections and allergy . The hypothesis of this study was that this specific prebiotic mixture could have a preventive effect against infections during the first 6 mo of life . In a prospect i ve , r and omized , double-blind , placebo-controlled trial , healthy term infants with a parental history of atopy were fed either prebiotic-supplemented ( 8 g/L scGOS/lcFOS ) or placebo-supplemented ( 8 g/L maltodextrin ) hypoallergenic formula during the first 6 mo of life . The primary outcome measures were infectious episodes , number of infections requiring antibiotics , and incidence of infections . During the study period , infants in the scGOS/lcFOS group had fewer episodes of all types of infections combined ( P = 0.01 ) . They also tended to have fewer upper respiratory tract infection episodes ( P = 0.07 ) and fewer infections requiring antibiotic treatment ( P = 0.10 ) . Similarly , the cumulative incidence of recurring infections was significantly lower in the scGOS/lcFOS group . The cumulative incidence of any recurring infection and recurring respiratory infections was 3.9 and 2.9 % in the scGOS/lcFOS group and 13.5 and 9.6 % in the placebo group , respectively ( P < 0.05 ) . Oligosaccharide prebiotics reduced the number of infectious episodes and the incidence of recurring , particularly respiratory , infections during the first 6 mo of life . Although the exact mechanism of action is under investigation , it is very likely that the immune modulating effect of this prebiotic mixture through intestinal flora modification is the principal mechanism for the observed infection prevention early in life BACKGROUND Probiotics and prebiotics are considered to be beneficial to the gastrointestinal health of infants . OBJECTIVE The objective was to evaluate infant formulas containing probiotics and synbiotics ( combinations of probiotics and prebiotics ) for safety and tolerance . DESIGN In a prospect i ve , controlled , double-blind , r and omized trial , healthy full-term infants were exclusively fed a control formula or study formulas containing Bifidobacterium longum BL999 ( BL999 ) + Lactobacillus rhamnosus LPR ( LPR ) , BL999 + LPR + 4 g/L of 90 % galactooligosaccharide/10 % short-chain fructooligosaccharide ( GOS/SCFOS ) , or BL999 + Lactobacillus paracasei ST11 ( ST11 ) + 4 g/L GOS/SCFOS from < or = 2 to 16 wk of age ( treatment period ) . Safety and tolerance were assessed based on weight gain during the treatment period ( primary outcome ) as well as recumbent length , head circumference , digestive tolerance , and adverse events ( secondary outcomes ) , which were evaluated at 2 , 4 , 8 , 12 , 16 , and 52 wk of age . RESULTS Two hundred eighty-four infants were enrolled . During the treatment period , difference in mean weight gain between control and study formula groups in both the intention-to-treat and per- protocol population s were within the predefined equivalence boundaries of + /-3.9 g/d , indicating equivalent weight gain . Secondary outcomes did not show significant differences between groups during the treatment period . CONCLUSION Infants fed formulas containing probiotics or synbiotics show a similar rate in weight gain compared with those fed a control formula and tolerate these formulas well A mixture of neutral short-chain galactooligosaccharides ( scGOS ) and long-chain fructooligosaccharides ( lcFOS ) has been shown to reduce the incidence of atopic dermatitis ( AD ) and infectious episodes during the first 6 mo of life . This dual protection occurred through the intervention period . The present study evaluated if these protective effects were lasting beyond the intervention period . In a prospect i ve , r and omized , double-blind , placebo-controlled design , healthy term infants with a parental history of atopy were fed either a prebiotic-supplemented ( 8 g/L scGOS/lcFOS ) or placebo-supplemented ( 8 g/L maltodextrin ) hypoallergenic formula during the first 6 mo of life . Following this intervention period , blind follow-up continued until 2 y of life . Primary endpoints were cumulative incidence of allergic manifestations . Secondary endpoints were number of infectious episodes and growth .  Of 152 participants , 134 infants ( 68 in placebo , 66 in intervention group ) completed the follow-up . During this period , infants in the scGOS/lcFOS group had significantly lower incidence of allergic manifestations . Cumulative incidences for AD , recurrent wheezing , and allergic urticaria were higher in the placebo group , ( 27.9 , 20.6 , and 10.3 % , respectively ) than in the intervention group ( 13.6 , 7.6 , and 1.5 % ) ( P < 0.05 ) . Infants in the scGOS/lcFOS group 
    Output:
    
agent
On the basis of this review , available scientific data suggest that the administration of currently evaluated probiotic- and /or prebiotic-supplemented formula to healthy infants does not raise safety concerns with regard to growth and adverse effects .
***TASK*** the task is to summarize an input biomedical literature in six sentences 
    ***INPUT*** the input is a biomedical literature 
    ***OUTPUT*** the output is the summary of an input biomedical literature in six sentences 
    ***DOCUMENTATION*** 
    ***EXAMPLES*** 
    Input: Objective . To investigate the effect of 2 different species of probiotics in preventing infections in infants attending child care centers . Methods . A double-blind , placebo-controlled , r and omized trial was conducted from December 1 , 2000 , to September 30 , 2002 , at 14 child care centers in the Beer-Sheva area of Israel in healthy term infants 4 to 10 months old . Infants were assigned r and omly to formula supplemented with Bifidobacterium lactis ( BB-12 ) , Lactobacillus reuteri ( American Type Culture Collection 55730 ) , or no probiotics . Duration of feeding , including follow-up , for each participant was 12 weeks . All infants were fed only the assigned formula and were not breastfed due to parental decision before recruitment to the study . Probiotic or prebiotic food products or supplements were not allowed . Main outcome measures were number of days and number of episodes with fever ( > 38 ° C ) and number of days and number of episodes with diarrhea or respiratory illness . Results . Participants ( n = 201 ) were similar regarding gestational age , birth weight , gender , and previous breastfeeding . The controls ( n = 60 ) , compared with those fed B lactis ( n = 73 ) or L reuteri ( n = 68 ) , had significantly more febrile episodes ( mean [ 95 % confidence interval ] : 0.41 [ 0.28–0.54 ] vs 0.27 [ 0.17–0.37 ] vs 0.11 [ 0.04–0.18 ] , respectively ) . The controls also had more diarrhea episodes ( 0.31 [ 0.22–0.40 ] vs 0.13 [ 0.05–0.21 ] vs 0.02 [ 0.01–0.05 ] , respectively ) and episodes of longer duration ( 0.59 [ 0.34–0.84 ] vs 0.37 [ 0.08–0.66 ] vs 0.15 [ 0.12–0.18 ] days , respectively ) . The L reuteri group , compared with BB-12 or controls , had a significant decrease of number of days with fever , clinic visits , child care absences , and antibiotic prescriptions . Rate and duration of respiratory illnesses did not differ significantly between groups . Conclusions . Child care infants fed a formula supplemented with L reuteri or B lactis had fewer and shorter episodes of diarrhea , with no effect on respiratory illnesses . These effects were more prominent with L reuteri , which was also the only supplement to improve additional morbidity parameters The addition of probiotics to infant formula has been shown to be an efficient way to increase the number of beneficial bacteria in the intestine in order to promote a gut flora resembling that of breast-fed infants . The objective of the present study was to evaluate the safety and tolerance of a combination of two probiotic strains in early infancy . A group of 126 newborns were r and omised to receive a prebiotic-containing starter formula supplemented with Lactobacillus paracasei ssp . paracasei and Bifidobacterium animalis ssp . lactis or the same formula without probiotics for the first 3 months of life . A total of eighty infants continued the study until they were aged 6 months .  Growth measurements were taken monthly at healthy baby clinics . Diaries were used to monitor behaviour , infections , use of antibiotics , as well as stool characteristics . Normal growth occurred in all infants and no statistically significant differences were detected between the probiotics group and the control group for gain in weight , length and head circumference . Infants in the probiotics group produced softer and more frequent stools during the first 3 months of life . No differences were found in crying and sleeping hours , number of parent-diagnosed infections , antibiotic use , visits to the general practitioner and number of adverse events . The use of a prebiotic-containing starter formula supplemented with L. paracasei ssp . paracasei and B. animalis ssp . lactis in early infancy is safe , well tolerated and has no adverse effects on growth and infant behaviour ABSTRACT A healthy intestinal microbiota is considered to be important for priming of the infants ' mucosal and systemic immunity . Breast-fed infants typically have an intestinal microbiota dominated by different Bifidobacterium species . It has been described that allergic infants have different levels of specific Bifidobacterium species than healthy infants . For the accurate quantification of Bifidobacterium adolescentis , Bifidobacterium angulatum , Bifidobacterium bifidum , Bifidobacterium breve , Bifidobacterium catenulatum , Bifidobacterium dentium , Bifidobacterium infantis , and Bifidobacterium longum in fecal sample s , duplex 5′ nuclease assays were developed . The assays , targeting rRNA gene intergenic spacer regions , were vali date d and compared with conventional PCR and fluorescent in situ hybridization methods . The 5′ nuclease assays were subsequently used to determine the relative amounts of different Bifidobacterium species in fecal sample s from infants receiving a st and ard formula or a st and ard formula supplemented with galacto- and fructo-oligosaccharides ( OSF ) . A breast-fed group was studied in parallel as a reference . The results showed a significant increase in the total amount of fecal bifidobacteria ( 54.8 % ± 9.8 % to 73.4 % ± 4.0 % ) in infants receiving the prebiotic formula ( OSF ) , with a diversity of Bifidobacterium species similar to breast-fed infants . The intestinal microbiota of infants who received a st and ard formula seems to resemble a more adult-like distribution of bifidobacteria and contains relatively more B. catenulatum and B. adolescentis ( 2.71 % ± 1.92 % and 8.11 % ± 4.12 % , respectively , versus 0.15 % ± 0.11 % and 1.38 % ± 0.98 % for the OSF group ) . In conclusion , the specific prebiotic infant formula used induces a fecal microbiota that closely resembles the microbiota of breast-fed infants also at the level of the different Bifidobacterium species In this double-blind , r and omized , placebo-controlled study , we investigated the effect of an infant milk formula with 6 g/L short-chain galacto- and long-chain fructo-oligosaccharides [ ( scGOS/lcFOS ) ratio 9:1 ] on the development of the fecal secretory immunoglobulin A ( sIgA ) response and on the composition of the intestinal microbiota in 215 healthy infants during the first 26 wk of life . The infants received breast milk or were r and omized to receive an infant milk formula with or without scGOS/lcFOS . Stool sample s were collected after 8 and 26 wk of intervention . The concentration of fecal sIgA was determined by ELISA , and the composition of the intestinal microbiota was determined by quantitative fluorescent in situ hybridization . The scGOS/lcFOS group and the control group were compared in the statistical analysis . A breast fed group was included as a reference . In total , 187 infants completed the study . After 26 wk of intervention , in infants that were exclusively formula fed , the concentration of sIgA was higher ( P < 0.001 ) in the scGOS/lcFOS group ( 719 microg/g ) than in the control group ( 263 microg/g ) . In addition , the percentages of bifidobacteria were higher in the scGOS/lcFOS group ( 60.4 % ) than in the control group ( 52.6 % , P = 0.04 ) . The percentages of Clostridium spp . were 0.0 and 3.27 % , respectively ( P = 0.006 ) . In conclusion , an infant milk formula with 6 g/L scGOS/lcFOS results in higher concentrations of fecal sIgA , suggesting a positive effect on mucosal immunity A mixture of neutral short chain galactooligosaccharides and long chain fructo-oligosaccharides ( scGOS/lcFOS ) has been shown to have prebiotic and immunomodulatory effects comparable to human milk oligosaccharides . This can be translated into clinical practice as a potential to prevent infections and allergy . The hypothesis of this study was that this specific prebiotic mixture could have a preventive effect against infections during the first 6 mo of life . In a prospect i ve , r and omized , double-blind , placebo-controlled trial , healthy term infants with a parental history of atopy were fed either prebiotic-supplemented ( 8 g/L scGOS/lcFOS ) or placebo-supplemented ( 8 g/L maltodextrin ) hypoallergenic formula during the first 6 mo of life . The primary outcome measures were infectious episodes , number of infections requiring antibiotics , and incidence of infections . During the study period , infants in the scGOS/lcFOS group had fewer episodes of all types of infections combined ( P = 0.01 ) . They also tended to have fewer upper respiratory tract infection episodes ( P = 0.07 ) and fewer infections requiring antibiotic treatment ( P = 0.10 ) . Similarly , the cumulative incidence of recurring infections was significantly lower in the scGOS/lcFOS group . The cumulative incidence of any recurring infection and recurring respiratory infections was 3.9 and 2.9 % in the scGOS/lcFOS group and 13.5 and 9.6 % in the placebo group , respectively ( P < 0.05 ) . Oligosaccharide prebiotics reduced the number of infectious episodes and the incidence of recurring , particularly respiratory , infections during the first 6 mo of life . Although the exact mechanism of action is under investigation , it is very likely that the immune modulating effect of this prebiotic mixture through intestinal flora modification is the principal mechanism for the observed infection prevention early in life BACKGROUND Probiotics and prebiotics are considered to be beneficial to the gastrointestinal health of infants . OBJECTIVE The objective was to evaluate infant formulas containing probiotics and synbiotics ( combinations of probiotics and prebiotics ) for safety and tolerance . DESIGN In a prospect i ve , controlled , double-blind , r and omized trial , healthy full-term infants were exclusively fed a control formula or study formulas containing Bifidobacterium longum BL999 ( BL999 ) + Lactobacillus rhamnosus LPR ( LPR ) , BL999 + LPR + 4 g/L of 90 % galactooligosaccharide/10 % short-chain fructooligosaccharide ( GOS/SCFOS ) , or BL999 + Lactobacillus paracasei ST11 ( ST11 ) + 4 g/L GOS/SCFOS from < or = 2 to 16 wk of age ( treatment period ) . Safety and tolerance were assessed based on weight gain during the treatment period ( primary outcome ) as well as recumbent length , head circumference , digestive tolerance , and adverse events ( secondary outcomes ) , which were evaluated at 2 , 4 , 8 , 12 , 16 , and 52 wk of age . RESULTS Two hundred eighty-four infants were enrolled . During the treatment period , difference in mean weight gain between control and study formula groups in both the intention-to-treat and per- protocol population s were within the predefined equivalence boundaries of + /-3.9 g/d , indicating equivalent weight gain . Secondary outcomes did not show significant differences between groups during the treatment period . CONCLUSION Infants fed formulas containing probiotics or synbiotics show a similar rate in weight gain compared with those fed a control formula and tolerate these formulas well A mixture of neutral short-chain galactooligosaccharides ( scGOS ) and long-chain fructooligosaccharides ( lcFOS ) has been shown to reduce the incidence of atopic dermatitis ( AD ) and infectious episodes during the first 6 mo of life . This dual protection occurred through the intervention period . The present study evaluated if these protective effects were lasting beyond the intervention period . In a prospect i ve , r and omized , double-blind , placebo-controlled design , healthy term infants with a parental history of atopy were fed either a prebiotic-supplemented ( 8 g/L scGOS/lcFOS ) or placebo-supplemented ( 8 g/L maltodextrin ) hypoallergenic formula during the first 6 mo of life . Following this intervention period , blind follow-up continued until 2 y of life . Primary endpoints were cumulative incidence of allergic manifestations . Secondary endpoints were number of infectious episodes and growth .  Of 152 participants , 134 infants ( 68 in placebo , 66 in intervention group ) completed the follow-up . During this period , infants in the scGOS/lcFOS group had significantly lower incidence of allergic manifestations . Cumulative incidences for AD , recurrent wheezing , and allergic urticaria were higher in the placebo group , ( 27.9 , 20.6 , and 10.3 % , respectively ) than in the intervention group ( 13.6 , 7.6 , and 1.5 % ) ( P < 0.05 ) . Infants in the scGOS/lcFOS group 
    Output:
    