The aim of the study was to evaluate possible long-term effects of a cereal diet supplemented with Lactobacillus paracasei F19 (LF19) during weaning on caries experience, mutans streptococci (MS) and lactobacilli (LBC) in a group of 9-year-old children. A secondary aim was to evaluate if the intervention resulted in the permanent integration of LF19 as part of the oral microbiota. The study followed up on a double-blind placebo-controlled randomised trial. Among 179 infants that were randomised to a daily diet that included cereals with or without LF19 from 4 to 13 months of age, 56 from the probiotic group and 62 from the placebo group participated in the follow-up at 9 years. Data were collected by oral clinical examination and questionnaires. MS and LBC levels were assessed with conventional cultivation; LF19 was detected by using randomly amplified polymerase chain reactions (RAPD-PCR). At the follow-up, neither decayed, missing and filled surfaces for primary teeth (dmfs) nor decayed, missing and filled surfaces for permanent teeth (DMFS) differed significantly between the probiotic and placebo groups (p > 0.05). MS and LBC levels were similar in both groups (p > 0.05). RAPD-PCR showed no evidence of oral colonisation with LF19 in the study group. It is concluded that an early intervention with LF19 did not affect the frequency of dental caries, MS or LBC. LF19 did not establish itself as a permanent facet of the oral microbiota in any of the subjects included in this study.
Intestinal dysbiosis is associated with several pediatric disorders but a cause-effect relationship remains to be clearly demonstrated in most conditions. Future studies using new systems biology approaches are anticipated to provide further insight into the functional capacities of the gut microbiome and its establishment in childhood. This may then lay the ground for improved treatment and prevention strategies targeting the gut microbiota.
The gut microbiome interacts with the host in the metabolic response to diet, and early microbial aberrancies may be linked to the development of obesity and metabolic disorders later in life. Probiotics have been proposed to affect metabolic programming and blood lipid levels, although studies are lacking in infants. Here, we report on the lipid profile and global metabolic response following daily feeding of probiotics during weaning. A total of 179 healthy, term infants were randomised to daily intake of cereals with (n 89) or without (n 90) the addition of Lactobacillus paracasei ssp. paracasei F19 (LF19) 10 8 colony-forming units per serving from 4 to 13 months of age. Weight, length and skinfold thickness were monitored. Venous blood was drawn at 5·5 and 13 months of age for analysis of the serum lipid profile. In a subsample, randomly selected from each group, GC-time-of-flight/MS was used to metabolically characterise plasma samples from thirty-seven infants. A combination of multi-and univariate analysis was applied to reveal differences related to LF19 treatment based on 228 putative metabolites, of which ninety-nine were identified or classified. We observed no effects of probiotic feeding on anthropometrics or the serum lipid profile. However, we detected significantly lower levels of palmitoleic acid (16 : 1) (P,0·05) and significantly higher levels of putrescine (P,0·01) in LF19-treated infants. Palmitoleic acid is a major MUFA strongly linked to visceral obesity, while putrescine is a polyamine with importance for gut integrity. Whether the observed differences will have long-term health consequences are being followed.
Feeding LF19 during infancy did not modulate body composition, growth or any of the assessed metabolic markers at school age. The steady increase in probiotic products targeting infants and children calls for long-term follow-up of initiated probiotic intervention studies.
BackgroundHigh latitude of residence where sun exposure is limited affects vitamin D status. Although vitamin D levels have been associated with poor bone health, cut-off values for optimising bone health are yet to be decided.ObjectiveTo assess vitamin D intake and status among young school children living at latitude 63–64 °N, in northern Sweden and to examine the association between vitamin D status and bone mineral content (BMC) and bone mineral density (BMD).DesignIn a cross-sectional study, diet was assessed by a 4-day food diary and a food frequency questionnaire in 8- to 9-year-old children (n=120). Energy, vitamin D, and calcium intakes were calculated. Physical activity was assessed using a pedometer for 7 days. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (S-25[OH]D) levels were analysed by high-pressure liquid chromatography-atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation-mass spectrometry (n=113). BMC and BMD were assessed by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry scan. Height and weight were measured by standard procedures and BMI z-score was calculated using WHO AnthroPlus programme.ResultsThe majority of children, 91%, did not reach the recommended vitamin D intake of 7.5 µg/day and 50% had insufficient S-25[OH]D levels defined as <50 nmol/l. The highest concentrations of S-25[OH]D were observed during the summer months (p=0.01). Body mass (p<0.01) but not S-25[OH]D was associated with measures of BMC and BMD. Furthermore, boys had higher total BMC (p=0.01), total body less head BMC (p=0.02), fat free mass (p<0.01), and a higher degree of physical activity (p=0.01) compared to girls.ConclusionsBody mass was related to BMC and BMD measures in a population of prepubertal school children living at high latitudes in Sweden. Despite insufficient S-25[OH]D levels and low vitamin D intake, this did not appear to affect bone parameters. Prospective studies with repeated assessment of vitamin D status are needed to examine cut-off values for optimising bone health.
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