Method for stimulating intestinal barrier integrity after non-natural birth

Abstract

The present invention relates to methods for feeding and stimulating the health of infants delivered via caesarean section comprising administering long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and / or nucleotides

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention relates to methods for feeding and therapy infants delivered via caesarean section.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Infants have an immature intestine at birth. After birth, the neonatal gastro-intestinal tract undergoes rapid growth and maturation, including mucus formation and maturation and closing of tight junctions to allergens, toxins and pathogenic micro-organisms. In human milk several factors are present which improve gut maturation.[0003]A permeable, immature intestinal barrier plays a role in the acquirement of intestinal inflammation, infections, diarrhea, and atopic diseases including food allergy. A properly maturing intestine, especially in combination with a healthy intestinal flora, results in a reduced incidence of infections, a strengthened immune system, a reduced incidence of food allergy and / or other atopic diseases, and / or a reduced incidence of diarrhea, constipation and / or intestinal inflammation.[0004]Intest...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0011]A healthy and fully developed gastrointestinal flora has important physiological effects. One important aspect is that it reduces the occurrence of (gastrointestinal) infections. Because infants delivered via a caesarean section lack a healthy flora, preventing infection is particularly important for these infants. These infants are normally delivered in a hospital environment, which is a risk for pathogenic infection due to the occurrence of nosocomial bacteria. Additionally, the impaired development of a healthy intestinal flora results in faster colonization of pathogenic bacteria compared to a situation where the infants intestinal tract is inoculated by maternal bacteria originating from the mother's vaginal and fecal flora. In order to prevent bacterial translocation or translocation of bacterial (eno- or exo)toxins across the intestinal barrier of these (nosocomial) pathogens, it is of utmost importance to improve and / or accelerate intestinal maturation in caesarean section delivered infants. Improvement of the intestinal barrier maturation and / or barrier integrity in caesarean section delivered infants furthermore reduces the incidence of intestinal inflammation, food allergy and / or other atopic diseases.

[0012]The inventors have recognized that the barrier function of babies born via caesarean section is impaired and found that long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA) and / or nucleotides improve the maturation and integrity of the intestinal barrier, and / or have an anti-inflammatory effect in babies delivered via caesarean section. LC-PUFA furthermore promote the adhesion of lactic acid producing bacteria to mucosal surfaces. Hence, the present invention concerns the use of compositions comprising LC-PUFA and / or nucleotide that particularly aim to a) decrease the incidence of infections by increasing intestinal barrier integrity and / or maturation, b) decrease the incidence of (food) allergy and / or atopic diseases by increasing intestinal barrier integrity and / or maturation, c) dampen or subdue intestinal inflammatory processes that otherwise would further increase intestinal barrier permeability, and / or d) improve the flora by increasing colonization of lactic acid producing bacteria to mucosal surfaces in infants delivered by caesarean section.

[0013]In a further aspect the present invention can be suitably brought to practice by incorporation of the present active ingredients in a nutritional composition. Such composition can be administered to the infant without posing a heavy burden on the infant delivered via caesarean section.

Problems solved by technology

Additionally it was found that the intestinal flora of infants born via caesarean section has a high content of (undesirable) Escherichia coli 6 weeks after delivery.

These infants are normally delivered in a hospital environment, which is a risk for pathogenic infection due to the occurrence of nosocomial bacteria.