Serum cholesterol and bowel flora in the newborn.

Bottle-fed infants have a total serum cholesterol of 147 mg/100 ml on the fifth day of life and their stools contain more Escherichia coli than Lactobacilli organisms. The ratio of these bacteria can be reversed by adding bicarbonate or Lactobacilli to feeds. This change is associated with a decrease in total cholesterol to a mean 119 mg/100 ml over the next 3 days. Lactobacilli organisms predominate in the stools when serum cholesterol is low and may play a role in the metabolism of cholesterol.

RCT Entities:   Population Interventions Outcomes