ReviewCureus2025
Enteral Infant Formulas: A Narrative Review of Historical Evolution, Nutritional Composition, and Clinical Use in Pediatrics.
Review in Cureus, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
This narrative review aims to describe the evolution, classification, nutritional composition, and clinical applications of enteral infant formulas, with an emphasis on pediatric patients who are unable to be breastfed or follow conventional feeding methods. The primary objective is to analyze the different types of formulas available - polymeric, hydrolyzed, elemental, and blenderized - and their indications based on clinical scenarios and specific patient needs. The methodology used was a non-systematic narrative review. Relevant scientific literature was selected through a targeted search of databases such as PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar, including publications from the last 20 years in both English and Spanish. Key search terms included "enteral nutrition," "infant formula," "nutritional therapy," and "pediatric enteral feeding." The article traces the historical development of infant nutrition, from breastfeeding and wet nursing to modern enteral formulas. It explains the macronutrient composition of each formula type, their preparation methods, palatability, osmolality, and caloric density. Clinical considerations and recommended formulas for specific diseases - such as obesity, cow's milk allergy, Crohn's disease, eosinophilic esophagitis, necrotizing enterocolitis, short bowel syndrome, and cystic fibrosis - are discussed in detail. Additionally, the review outlines the regulatory context in the United States and Europe, noting that these products are classified as medical foods and not pharmaceuticals, and are thus subject to distinct safety, composition, and labeling requirements. The review concludes that although breastfeeding remains the gold standard in infant nutrition, enteral formulas are indispensable in many clinical situations. Future research is expected to focus on the development of more targeted, functional, and personalized formulas to address the needs of vulnerable pediatric populations.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.