Frequently Asked Questions About Milk Oligosaccharides

Breast milk is best for your baby

Breast milk is best for babies. The World Health Organisation (WHO) and Health Promotion Board (HPB) recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life. Unnecessary introduction of bottle feeding or other food and drinks will have a negative impact on breastfeeding. At around six months of age (but not before 4 months), infants should receive nutritionally adequate and age-appropriate complementary foods while breastfeeding continues for up to two years of age or beyond. Consult your doctor before deciding to use infant formula or if you have difficulty breastfeeding.

Abbott Singapore fully recognises breast milk’s primacy, value and superiority and supports exclusive breastfeeding as recommended by the WHO.

The content on this website is intended as general information for Singaporean residents only and should not be used as a substitute for medical care and advice from your healthcare practitioner. The HPB recommends that infants start on age-appropriate complementary foods at around 6 months, whilst continuing breastfeeding for up to 2 years or beyond to meet their evolving nutritional requirements. If no longer breastfeeding, toddlers can switch to full cream milk after 12 months. This should be complemented by a good variety of solid foods from the four main food groups (fruits, vegetables, grains, meat and alternatives). For more information on the nutritional requirements of infants and young children, please visit www.healthhub.sg/earlynutrition.

Why is breast milk so important for babies?

Breast milk is nature’s perfect food. It is comprised of hundreds of individual components that work together in a way that is unique and extremely difficult to replicate. As a result, it is widely known that babies who receive breast milk have strong immune systems.
What is the link between gut health and the immune system?

The microbiome, and especially the gut, is where 70% of our immune system resides, making it ground zero for baby’s current and future immune health. Scientists have spent many years working to better understand the role that individual nutrients play in a baby’s developing immune system. Thanks to this research, it has been shown that milk oligosaccharides in breast milk, unique immune-nourishing prebiotics found naturally in breast milk, play a fundamental role.
What are the implications of the latest clinical research into 2’-FL (2’-fucosyllactose)?

This discovery of the role of 2’-FL represents one of the biggest scientific discoveries in pediatric nutrition of the last decade. New understanding and scientific developments now mean we are able to harness the power of 2’-FL by adding it to our milk formula to help support a baby's immune system. This exciting discovery is just the beginning of our understanding of how to help support a lifetime of good nutrition and health.
How does 2’-FL (2’-fucosyllactose) have such a profound effect on the immune system?

2’-FL (2’-fucosyllactose), the most abundant milk oligosaccharide in most mothers’ milk, increases good bacteria and boosts favorable bacterial colonization in the gut. New data continues to deepen the evidence for the beneficial impact of 2’-FL on the early gut and immune development. Its presence has been linked to an increase in the production of healthy substances such as short chain fatty acids and a reduction in the release of less desirable molecules such as ammonium. The unique molecule also makes it difficult for unfavourable bacteria to bind to the intestinal lining, which may reduce the risk of gastrointestinal infections.

Breast milk is best for your baby

Frequently Asked Questions About Milk Oligosaccharides

Why is breast milk so important for babies?

What is the link between gut health and the immune system?

What are the implications of the latest clinical research into 2’-FL (2’-fucosyllactose)?

How does 2’-FL (2’-fucosyllactose) have such a profound effect on the immune system?

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