Human Milk Oligosaccharide Concentrations and Infant Intakes Are Associated with Maternal Overweight and Obesity and Predict Infant Growth.

Ann Abraham,Lars Bode,Jessica L Saben,Aline Andres,Clark R Sims

doi:10.3390/nu13020446

Abstract

Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) are bioactive molecules playing a critical role in infant health. We aimed to quantify the composition of HMOs of women with normal weight (18.5–24.9 kg/m2), overweight (25.0–29.9 kg/m2), or obesity (30.0–60.0 kg/m2) and determine the effect of HMO intake on infant growth. Human milk (HM) samples collected at 2 months (2 M; n = 194) postpartum were analyzed for HMO concentrations via high-performance liquid chromatography. Infant HM intake, anthropometrics and body composition were assessed at 2 M and 6 M postpartum. Linear regressions and linear mixed-effects models were conducted examining the relationships between maternal BMI and HMO composition and HMO intake and infant growth over the first 6 M, respectively. Maternal obesity was associated with lower concentrations of several fucosylated and sialylated HMOs and infants born to women with obesity had lower intakes of these HMOs. Maternal BMI was positively associated with lacto-N-neotetraose, 3-fucosyllactose, 3-sialyllactose and 6-sialyllactose and negatively associated with disialyllacto-N-tetraose, disialyllacto-N-hexaose, fucodisialyllacto-N-hexaose and total acidic HMOs concentrations at 2 M. Infant intakes of 3-fucosyllactose, 3-sialyllactose, 6-sialyllactose, disialyllacto-N-tetraose, disialyllacto-N-hexaose, and total acidic HMOs were positively associated with infant growth over the first 6 M of life. Maternal obesity is associated with changes in HMO concentrations that are associated with infant adiposity.

Highlights

Nutrition during infancy and in early childhood can significantly impact lifelong health [1]
In the largest cohort to date of women whose body mass index (BMI) span a range that includes those with normal weight, overweight, and all classes of obesity, this study aimed to scrutinize the effect of maternal BMI on Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) concentrations and infant HMO intakes at 2 months postpartum
The data presented indicate that maternal BMI was positively associated with LNnT, 3 FL, and 6’SL concentrations at 2 months postpartum

Summary

Introduction

Nutrition during infancy and in early childhood can significantly impact lifelong health [1]. The gold standard for infant nutrition is human milk (HM), which is biologically tailored to support infant growth and development. As such, breastfeeding has been connected to long-term health benefits for both mother and child, including reduced risk for developing obesity in the offspring [2,3]. The health benefits associated with breastfeeding are multifactorial and not completely understood, HM is composed of macronutrients, abundant micronutrients, and bioactive molecules [4] that have been shown to contribute to these positive effects. The individual HM components associated with infant adiposity have not been fully elucidated. Understanding the early life factors that may contribute to future risk of obesity are critical to obesity prevention efforts

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