Chapter 8 – Prebiotics and Probiotics in Infant Nutrition

Some of the most recent scientific data have shown how prebiotics and probiotics can be very important tools for physicians in the prevention and treatment of some of the most common gastrointestinal and non-gastrointestinal pathologies in infancy. As functional foods, they offer a variety of benefits for the development of the intestinal ecosystem, for the immune system, and consequently for the overall health of infants. Thus far, the scientific evidence seems to justify a routine use of prebiotics and probiotics for preventing and treating some gastroenteric pathologies and allergies during the pediatric period of life.