Prebiotics and probiotics (bacteria) are the wave of formula's future. DHA and ARA rescued infant formula from sagging sales and so will the addition of more poorly tested ingredients. Clinical trials with these additions certainly do not appear to be following the Institute of Medicine's recommendations of safety testing. Human milk has more than 100 oligosaccharides which contain human blood group antigens, with women from differing blood types exhibiting distinct patterns. Mothers may even differ genetically in their ability to produce protective oligosaccharides. I bet the published articles are sponsored by formula companies and do not include information on the source of the oligosacchrides - they certainly are not human! Human milk oligosaccharides are an important source of sialic acid which is an integral part of the plasma membranes of nerve cells and dendrites in the brain. Formula-fed babies receive only 20% of the sialic acid that a breastfed babies receives and do not synthesize the difference.
 
These oligosaccharides or prebiotics may be derived from yeast. That puts an interesting group of ingredients into infant formula that do not appear on the label:
 
fermented microalgae (DHA)
soil fungus (ARA)
yeast (oligosaccharides) 
bacteria (probiotics)
viral DNA (genetically modified corn and soy)
 
One wonders what effects algae, fungus, yeast, bacteria, and viruses actually have on little babies. Parents are certainly not aware of the sources of these ingredients. They just continue to be deceived into thinking that each new addition of a wonder ingredient will somehow make their babies just like breastfed babies. Many clinicians (none of course on Lactnet!) continue to defend formula, formula companies, and formula salesmen depending on what trinket or meal was just served to them by company salespeople.
 
Maybe the new year will bring clarity and enlightenment to infant feeding. Maybe we will need to work even harder this year to help mothers and colleagues understand that no matter what gets put into infant formula it will never act like the real thing.
 
Marsha Walker, RN, IBCLC
Weston, MA
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