Effects of Different Complementary Feeding Regimens on Iron Status and Enteric Microbiota in Breastfed Infants

Despite 2-3 fold greater daily iron intakes in cereal groups versus meat group, there were no significant differences in serum ferritin or hemoglobin by feeding group, with approximately one third of

Effect: null; 27% low SF and 36% mildly anemic across all groups

The abundance of butyrate-producing Clostridium Group XIVa increased by 40% in the meat feeding group versus only 10% in cereal groups between ages 5 and 9 months, a significant difference suggesting

Effect: improvement; 40% increase in meat group vs 10% increase in cereal groups from age 5 to 9 months

Breastfed infants fed iron-only-fortified cereals showed significant decreases in the beneficial bacteria Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillales over the study period, while these bacteria remained relat

Effect: adverse; Bifidobacterium P = 0.004; Lactobacillales P = 0.04

While dietary iron was significantly correlated with Enterobacteriaceae abundance as a covariate, no feeding group showed a significant increase in potentially pathogenic enteric bacteria, and median

Effect: null; Enterobacteriaceae correlated with dietary iron (P = 0.03); Enterobacteriaceae median abundances decreased non-significantly by 5.5%, 10.3%, and