BABY POOP 101

Many of Nutricia formulas contain prebiotics, including Pepticate™. Keep reading to find out what prebiotics are and why you need prebiotics in your life! Prebiotics, also referred to as “prebiotic fibers,” are non-digestible carbohydrates that serve as food for the beneficial bacteria that naturally live in our gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Think of prebiotics as fertilizer for the “good” gut bacteria. Common examples of prebiotics found on food labels include inulin, fructooligosaccharides (FOS), galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS), polyols, and lactulose.¹

Natural Sources of Prebiotics:

Prebiotics are naturally present in many foods such as breast milk, whole grains, bananas, garlic, onions, and apples. This list isn’t exhaustive, but it gives you an idea of where to find prebiotics. Of note, you can cook these foods without losing many of the fiber benefits, but some will need to be cooked and/or mashed before feeding to your infant or toddler.

Prebiotics vs. Fiber:

While everyday foods – fruits, vegetables, and whole grains contain fiber, not all fibers are prebiotics. Prebiotic fibers are specific ingredients that are isolated and added to foods or formulas for a specific benefit. Nowadays, many foods and nutritional formulas have added prebiotic fibers. Prebiotics can also be taken as dietary supplements, such as powders that you can stir into foods or beverages.

Prebiotics and Health Benefits:

Prebiotics have been shown to offer a variety of health benefits,^2,3 such as helping with nutrient absorption and prebiotics may support overall gut health. In addition, some studies suggest that prebiotics can help support the growth of “good” gut bacteria, especially if those levels are low.

Prebiotics in Nutritional Formulas:

Breast milk naturally contains human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) that act like prebiotics. These HMOs support the growth of beneficial bacteria, such as bifidobacteria, which can provide multiple health benefits to infants. The prebiotics added to various infant formulas can mimic some of these benefits. Infants who consume formula exclusively or as a supplement to breast milk tend to consume less fiber. The same applies to toddlers and children who need formula due to food allergies. Choosing a formula with added prebiotics can help compensate for the lower fiber intake. Infant and toddler formulas may include the following ingredients as prebiotics:

• Short-chain fructooligosaccharides (scFOS, a.k.a. fructooligosaccharides)
• Short-chain galacto-oligosaccharides (scGOS, a.k.a. galactooligosaccharides)
• Long-chain fructooligosaccharides (lcFOS, a.k.a. inulin)

Nutricia’s Pepticate infant formula contains both scGOS and lcFOS prebiotics, which can help support digestive health. Neocate^® Syneo^® Infant and Neocate^® Syneo^® Junior both contain scFOS and IcFOS. Talk to your doctor or healthcare professional if you have any further questions about prebiotics. Also check out our blog on to see how prebiotics are different from probiotics!

We hope this information helps you when starting Pepticate. As always, if you have questions about using the formula, please give our Medical Services team a call: 1-800-365-7354 (option 3) Mon-Fri, 8:30am-5:00pm, ET.          

Authored by: Ellen Avery, MS, RD Ellen Avery joined the Nutricia team in 2014 and has been a registered dietitian for more than 20 years. She has extensive experience in pediatrics, metabolics and tube feeding. Her passion in pediatric nutrition started when she was in Birmingham working with children with neurodevelopmental disabilities and has continued throughout her career.

1. Slavin J. Nutrients. 2013;5(4):1417-1435.
2. Saavedra JM, et al. Br J Nutr. 2002;87S2:S241.
3. Waligora-Dupriet AJ, et al. Int J Food Microbiol. 2007;113:108.

  Last updated July 2025.