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Faecal short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) were determined in 49 infants on three occasions, i.e. at ages three and six days and two months. At two months, the breast-fed infants had a significantly higher proportion of acetic acid in the SCFA spectra than the bottle-fed infants. The data suggest that the composition of the intestinal microflora in most breast-fed infants is characterized by a high relative content of acetic acid in faecal SCFAs. This may be associated with protection against diarrhoea and respiratory infections in the infant.
Siigur et al. (1993) studied this question.