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CompletedNCT00810160Updated Jul 13, 2017

The Impact of Oligosaccharides and Bifidobacteria on the Intestinal Microflora of Premature Infants

A Phase 1 interventional study of ProlactPlus and GOS galacto-oligosaccharides in Fecal Microflora in the Formula Fed Premature Infant, sponsored by University of California, Davis. Completed at 1 site in United States. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2017-07-13.

Sponsored by University of California, Davis · Phase 1, Interventional, and Prevention

Phase
Phase 1
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
59
Allocation
Randomized
Sex
All
01

Study summary

The purpose of this study is to see whether dietary supplements can change the germs in the intestines of premature infants to be more like those of healthy breast fed term babies.

Read the detailed description

To determine the optimum dose and optimum dietary supplement to promote a fecal microflora in the formula fed premature infant that is similar to that of the term breast fed infant (a predominance of bifidobacteria). In the initial phase of this trial, 30 premature infants will be randomly assigned to receive increasing doses of one of four dietary supplements: Permeate (a pasteurized human milk concentrate containing human milk oligosaccharides processed by Prolacta), GOS (galacto-oligosaccharides manufactured by Friesland foods), Bifidobacterium infantis or Bifidobacterium animalis. Weekly stool specimens will be examined by PCR to determine content of bifidobacteria and total bacteria. This study is limited to formula fed infants in order to avoid the confounding effects of the human milk oligosaccharides in breast milk. An additional 12 human milk fed infants will be enrolled and will have their diet supplemented with ProlactPlus (a pasteurized human milk concentrate containing humna milk oligosaccharides) or powdered human milk fortifier for comparison

02

Conditions studied

  • Fecal Microflora in the Formula Fed Premature Infant

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Keywords

  • probiotic
  • prebiotic
  • oligosaccharides
  • GOS
  • galacto oligosaccharides
  • Bifidobacterium infantis
  • Bifidobacterium animalis
03

In context

Premature Birth

2,554 studies on the registry are indexed under Premature Birth; 498 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 59 is below the median of 84 across 1,689 interventional studies indexed under Premature Birth.

Browse Premature Birth studies →

Lead sponsor

University of California, Davis is the lead sponsor of 798 studies on the registry; 146 are open to participants now.

Of its 65 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 43 (66%) have results posted.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
Child (0–17), Adult (18–64), Older adult (65+)
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

  • Born in or transferred to UCDMC within the first two weeks of life. Birth weight less than 1500 grams. Gestational age less than 33 completed weeks. Exclusively formula fed.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Gastrointestinal or cardiac anomalies.
05

Study design

Phase
Phase 1
Primary purpose
Prevention
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
59 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Active comparator
    1

    Permeate

    Dietary Supplement: ProlactPlus

  • Active comparator
    2

    GOS

    Dietary Supplement: GOS galacto-oligosaccharides

  • Active comparator
    3

    Bifidobacterium infantis

    Dietary Supplement: Bifidobacterium infantis

  • Active comparator
    4

    Bifidobacterium animalis

    Dietary Supplement: Bifidobacterium animalis

Interventions

  • Dietary supplementProlactPlus

    Group 1 infants will be fed a concentration of Permeate mixed with formula. The ProlactPlus will be increased each week as follows: week 1 95:5 (formula:ProlactPlus), week 2 90:10, week 3 85:15, week 4 80:20, and week 5 75:25. Caloric content is roughly as follows: week 1 21 cal/oz, week 2 22 cal/oz, week 3 23 cal/oz, week 4 24 cal/oz, and week 5 25 cal/oz.

    Also known as: human milk oligosaccharides

  • Dietary supplementGOS galacto-oligosaccharides

    Group 2 infants will have their formula supplemented with galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) for each feeding as follows: week 1 0.25 g/dL, week 2 0.5 g/dL, week 3 1.0 g/dL, week 4 1.5 g/dL, and week 5 2.0 g/dL.

    Also known as: galacto-oligosaccharides

  • Dietary supplementBifidobacterium infantis

    Group 3 infants will have their formula supplemented with B. infantis twice daily increasing the dose each week as follows: week 1 5x107, week 2 1.5x108, week 3 4.5x108, week 4 1.4x109, and week 5 4.2x109.

    Also known as: bifidobacteria, B. infantis

  • Dietary supplementBifidobacterium animalis

    Group 4 infants will have their formula supplemented with B. animalis twice daily increasing the dose each week as follows: week 1 5x107, week 2 1.5x108, week 3 4.5x108, week 4 1.4x109, and week 5 4.2x109.

    Also known as: B. animalis, bifidobacteria

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What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. To determine the optimum dose and optimum dietary supplement to promote a fecal microflora in the formula fed premature infant that is similar to that of the term breast fed infant (a predominance of bifidobacteria).

    Time frame: six weeks

07

Study locations

1 site
  • UC Davis Medical Center
    Sacramento, California 95817, United States
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Underwood MA, Kalanetra KM, Bokulich NA, Lewis ZT, Mirmiran M, Tancredi DJ, Mills DA. A comparison of two probiotic strains of bifidobacteria in premature infants. J Pediatr. 2013 Dec;163(6):1585-1591.e9. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2013.07.017. Epub 2013 Aug 29. PubMed 23993139 ↗
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Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Jul 13, 2017, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT00810160
Lead sponsor
University of California, Davis
Collaborators
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Dec 17, 2008
Start date
Jun 2009
Primary completion
Nov 2015
Completion
Nov 2015
Last update
Jul 13, 2017

Study contacts

Mark Underwood, MD
principal investigator · University of California, Davis

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is completed, as verified in Jul 2017. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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