Could prebiotics in infant formulas make a difference?
Infant formulas containing prebiotics might be able to prevent the development of eczema in babies who are at high risk of allergies, but they have not been tested enough to be sure. So far, none of the breast milk substitutes has been shown to provide better protection than breastfeeding. Allergies are quite common in babies, but the risk largely depends on their genes: up to 7 out of 10 babies develop an allergy if both parents have allergies. For comparison: only 1 out of 10 babies develops an allergy if none of their close relatives has an allergy. Food intolerance affects about one in 20 children under the age of three. Food intolerance symptoms are either caused by an allergic reaction or a different kind of sensitive reaction to certain types of food. For many of these babies the food intolerance will go away by the time they are 10 years old. For others, though, the food intolerance might be the start of several allergies that develop during childhood. Allergies can develop if
