Composition Of Human Milk Research Articles

Comparison of Milk Odd- and Branched-Chain Fatty Acids among Human, Dairy Species and Artificial Substitutes.

The aim of the study was to compare odd and branched-chain fatty acids (OBCFA) of milk from sheep, goat, cow, buffalo, donkey, human, and formula milk. Ruminant, monogastric, and human milks have different concentrations of these fatty acids (FA). To highlight the differences on OBCFA, a total of 282 individual milk samples were analyzed by gas chromatography. The OBCFA were found higher in ruminant than non-ruminant milks (p < 0.05). Among ruminants, sheep milk had the highest OBCFA (4.5 g/100 g of total FAME), whereases the lowest values were found in formula milk (0.18 g/100 g of total FAME). Regarding individual linear odd-chain FA (linear-OCFA), C11:0 was found higher in donkey milk than others, while sheep and buffalo milks had the greatest concentration of C15:0. Among BCFA, the iso-BCFA were higher than anteiso-BCFA in all considered milks. The isoC17:0 showed the highest concentration in all milks except for donkey and buffalo, which showed higher concentration of isoC16:0 than others. In conclusion, ruminant milks are different in terms of these FA compared to human milk and its substitutes. However, the greatest differences were found with formula milk, suggesting that this product needs the implementation of these FA to be more similar to human milk composition.

The Association between Maternal Oral Inflammation and Neutrophil Phenotypes and Poly-Unsaturated Fatty Acids Composition in Human Milk: A Prospective Cohort Study.

This prospective cohort study aimed to investigate the impact of maternal oral inflammation on human milk composition including neutrophil counts, activation state (based on cluster of differentiation (CD) markers expression), and fatty acid levels. Fifty mothers were recruited from St. Michael's hospital, Toronto, and followed up from 2-4 weeks until 4 months postpartum. Oral rinse and human milk samples were collected at both timepoints. Oral polymorphonuclear neutrophils (oPMNs) within the rinses were quantified using flow cytometry and the participants' oral health state was categorized into three groups (i.e., healthy, moderate, and severe) based on the oPMNs counts. Fatty acids were identified and quantified using a gas chromatography-flame ionization detector (GC-FID). Compared to mothers with a healthy oral health state, mothers with moderate to severe oral inflammation had a statistically significant decrease in the expression of CD64 biomarker, an increase in the expression of CD14 biomarker on human milk neutrophils and a decrease in the levels of eicosapentaenoic acid (C20:5n-3) in their human milk at follow-up compared to baseline. This study demonstrates for the first time that maternal oral inflammation can affect human milk composition. The mechanism by which these alterations can affect infant health outcomes in the long term critically needs to be considered.

Study of Colostrum Composition in Lactating Women with Anemia

Background: Colostrum is a pre-milk substance, thick lemon yellow coloured viscous mammary secretion, that is produced immediately after birth, during the first 1-5days of the lactation. Pregnancy induced Anaemia (PIA) is the most common complication of pregnancy in the India. PIA is defined as blood hemoglobin level of less than 11 gm % (WHO). In India, ICMR defines anaemia as hemoglobin less than 10 gm %. it is commonly due to maternal malnutrition resulting in deficiencies of iron, anti anemic factors, folic acid and vitamin B12. Maternal nutritional status has been found to influence the composition of milk, leading to conditions which alters the total proteins, calcium and IgA concentration of the colostrum. Aim and. Objectives: The aim of this study is to compare the composition of following biochemical parameters (total proteins, triglycerides, immunoglobulin A, lactose and calcium) in colostrum of normal pregnancy and pregnancy with anaemia patients, in primigravida, to find out whether there are any significant changes. Materials and Methods: We included a total of 60 lactating women from the postnatal wards of Owaisi hospital /princess Esra hospital, Hyderabad after obtaining their consent. Out of which 30 were Controls (Group A) and 30 lactating anemic women (Group B). Approximately 5ml of colostrum was collected from a single breast within 24 hours of delivery from each subject into sterile storage vials and stored at –20°C and were analyzed within two weeks. The following parameters were analyzed in each sample of colostrum, total proteins, triglycerides, Ig A, lactose and calcium.Statistical Analysis: The data was analysed using SPSS software version 17.0 descriptive results are expressed as mean and SD of various parameters in both the groups. p value less than 0.05 was considered as significant and value above 0.05 was considered as non-significant.Discussion & Conclusion: Colostrum is a dynamic, multi-faceted fluid containing nutrients and bioactive factors needed for infant health and development. Nevertheless, knowledge of human milk composition is increasing, leading to greater understanding of the role of human milk in infant health and development, which can be extremely beneficial for preventive and protective aspects of peadiatrics and neonatology.Human milk also contains many hundreds to thousands of distinct bioactive molecules that protect against infection and inflammation and contribute to immune maturation, organ development, and healthy microbial colonization. Therefore, neonates who are effected and deprived of essential components of colostrum due to anaemia during pregnancy should be provided with the necessary supplements and protection from infections.

Summary of the Joint National Institutes of Health and the Food and Drug Administration Workshop Titled “Exploring the Science Surrounding the Safe Use of Bioactive Ingredients in Infant Formula: Considerations for an Assessment Framework”

The U.S. government and many professional societies recommend that human milk be the sole source of nutrition for infants up to 6 months-of-age. ( 1 Christian P. Smith E.R. Lee S.E. Vargas A.J. Bremer A.A. Raiten D.J. The need to study human milk as a biological system. Am J Clin Nutr. 2021; 113: 1063-1072 Crossref PubMed Scopus (34) Google Scholar , 2 Rollins N.C. Bhandari N. Hajeebhoy N. Horton S. Lutter C.K. Martines J.C. et al. Why invest, and what it will take to improve breastfeeding practices?. Lancet. 2016; 387: 491-504 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (1036) Google Scholar ) However, only about 25% of infants in the United States meet this goal signaling an urgent need for improved multi-level support for breastfeeding among societies, communities, and families. ( 2 Rollins N.C. Bhandari N. Hajeebhoy N. Horton S. Lutter C.K. Martines J.C. et al. Why invest, and what it will take to improve breastfeeding practices?. Lancet. 2016; 387: 491-504 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (1036) Google Scholar ) In addition, when breastfeeding is not possible, access to a safe and effective source of nutrition—provided by infant formula (IF) is critical. The search for bioactive ingredients found in human milk (HM) that could be added to formula has been intense among academic institutions, governmental research institutes, and industry. ( 1 Christian P. Smith E.R. Lee S.E. Vargas A.J. Bremer A.A. Raiten D.J. The need to study human milk as a biological system. Am J Clin Nutr. 2021; 113: 1063-1072 Crossref PubMed Scopus (34) Google Scholar )The National Institutes of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) developed a strategic plan (https://www.nichd.nih.gov/about/org/strategicplan) that recognizes the importance of optimal nutrition across the lifespan. One aspirational goal is to optimize infant survival and health by optimizing formulas to mimic the composition of HM. more closely.

Modulation of Milk and Lipid Synthesis and Secretion in a3-Dimensional Mouse Mammary Epithelial Cell Culture Model: Effects of Palmitate and Orlistat.

Human milk synthesis is impacted by maternal diet, serum composition, and substrate uptake and synthesis by mammary epithelial cells (MECs). The milk of obese/high-fat-diet women has an increased fat content, which promote excess infant weight gain and the risk of childhood/adult obesity. Yet, the knowledge of milk synthesis regulation is limited, and there are no established approaches to modulate human milk composition. We established a 3-dimensional mouse MEC primary culture that recreates the milk production pathway and tested the effects of the major saturated fatty acid in human milk (palmitate) and a lipoprotein lipase inhibitor (orlistat) on triglyceride production. Positive immunostaining confirmed the presence of milk protein and intracellular lipid including milk globules in the cytoplasm and extracellular space. The treatment with palmitate activated "milk" production by MECs (β-casein) and the lipid pathway (as evident by increased protein and mRNA expression). Consistent with these cellular changes, there was increased secretion of milk protein and triglyceride in MEC "milk". The treatment with orlistat suppressed milk triglyceride production. Palmitate increased milk and lipid synthesis, partly via lipoprotein lipase activation. These findings demonstrate the ability to examine MEC pathways of milk production via both protein and mRNA and to modulate select pathways regulating milk composition in MEC culture.

Human milk nutritional composition across lactational stages in Central Africa.

The African region encompasses the highest undernutrition burden with the highest neonatal and infant mortality rates globally. Under these circumstances, breastfeeding is one of the most effective ways to ensure child health and development. However, evidence on human milk (HM) composition from African women is scarce. This is of special concern, as we have no reference data from HM composition in the context of food insecurity in Africa. Furthermore, data on the evolution of HM across lactational stages in this setting lack as well. In the MITICA study, we conducted a cohort study among 48 Central-African women and their 50 infants to analyze the emergence of gut dysbiosis in infants and describe the mother-infant transmission of microbiota between birth and 6 months of age. In this context, we assessed nutritional components in HM of 48 lactating women in Central Africa through five sampling times from week 1 after birth until week 25. Unexpectedly, HM-type III (Secretor + and Lewis genes -) was predominant in HM from Central African women, and some nutrients differed significantly among HM-types. While lactose concentration increased across lactation periods, fatty acid concentration did not vary significantly. The overall median level of 16 detected individual human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs; core structures as well as fucosylated and sialylated ones) decreased from 7.3 g/l at week 1 to 3.5 g/l at week 25. The median levels of total amino acids in HM dropped from 12.8 mg/ml at week 1 to 7.4 mg/ml at week 25. In contrast, specific free amino acids increased between months 1 and 3 of lactation, e.g., free glutamic acid, glutamine, aspartic acid, and serine. In conclusion, HM-type distribution and certain nutrients differed from Western mother HM.

Human Milk from Tandem Feeding Dyads Does Not Differ in Metabolite and Metataxonomic Features When Compared to Single Nursling Dyads under Six Months of Age.

Given the long-term advantages of exclusive breastfeeding to infants and their mothers, there is both an individual and public health benefit to its promotion and support. Data on the composition of human milk over the course of a full period of lactation for a single nursling is sparse, but data on human milk composition during tandem feeding (feeding children of different ages from different pregnancies) is almost entirely absent. This leaves an important knowledge gap that potentially endangers the ability of parents to make a fully informed choice on infant feeding. We compared the metataxonomic and metabolite fingerprints of human milk samples from 15 tandem feeding dyads to that collected from ten exclusively breastfeeding single nursling dyads where the nursling is under six months of age. Uniquely, our cohort also included three tandem feeding nursling dyads where each child showed a preferential side for feeding-allowing a direct comparison between human milk compositions for different aged nurslings. Across our analysis of volume, total fat, estimation of total microbial load, metabolite fingerprinting, and metataxonomics, we showed no statistically significant differences between tandem feeding and single nursling dyads. This included comparisons of preferential side nurslings of different ages. Together, our findings support the practice of tandem feeding of nurslings, even when feeding an infant under six months.

Associations between maternal adiposity and appetite-regulating hormones in human milk are mediated through maternal circulating concentrations and might affect infant outcomes.

Appetite-regulating hormones (ARH) in human milk (HM) are suggested to affect infants' milk intake and possibly infant growth. Maternal adiposity might contribute to higher levels of ARH in HM, either from the mammary gland or from raised circulating levels due to higher adiposity. Counterfactual-based mediation analysis can define indirect and direct effects between HM ARH and maternal and infant factors, and might be an important tool when investigating the mother-milk-infant triad. We aim to investigate whether potential associations between (1) maternal adiposity and HM ARH and (2) HM ARH and infant milk intake and growth are mediated through maternal and infant plasma ARH, respectively. Maternal and infant anthropometry and body composition, HM and blood samples were collected from 223 mother-infant dyads participating in the Mother, Infant and Lactation Quality study at three postpartum visits from 1 to 8.49 months. Leptin, insulin and adiponectin were analyzed using immunoassays. Mediation analyses using linear mixed-effect models were applied to investigate the direct and indirect effects through maternal and infant plasma hormone concentrations. A positive association between maternal body-mass-index (BMI) and HM leptin was mediated by maternal plasma leptin by 29% when fixing BMI to < 25 kg/m2, and through 51% when fixing BMI to ≥ 25 kg/m2 (p interaction < 0.01). There was no mediated effect through plasma insulin in the association between BMI and HM insulin (p = 0.068). We found negative and positive associations between HM insulin and total milk intake and infant weight, respectively, however, these diminished in mediation analyses with reduced sample sizes. Our main results suggest that the association between maternal adiposity and HM leptin was mediated through circulating leptin to a stronger degree for mothers with overweight compared to mothers with normal-weight. This indicates that excess maternal adiposity, and the resulting rise of circulating leptin and possible concomitant low-grade inflammation, may be reflected in HM composition. NCT03254329.

Distribution of Lipid-soluble Vitamin Intake among Exclusively Breastfeeding Mothers and its Correlation with Human Milk’s Fatty Acids

The lipid composition such as fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins is the second-most abundant composition of human milk providing dietary energy to infants. Micronutrient dietary intake such as vitamin A, D, E, K and C by breastfeeding mothers plays an important role in regulating the quality of human milk for optimum infant health and growth. The objective of this paper is to determine the distribution and correlation of maternal micronutrient intake of lipid-soluble vitamin and vitamin C towards fatty acids composition in human milk of exclusively breastfeeding mothers. A total of N=36 nursing women were recruited from Dengkil, Selangor, and Kuantan, Pahang, using a convenience sample method. A 24-hour dietary recall (24HR) was performed to collect thorough information on all foods and beverages ingested in the previous 24 hours by the respondent. The data on micronutrients intake per mother was tabulated using Nutritionist Pro. (NP) software. Following the diet recall, the human sample was collected in the next morning and subjected to fatty acid extraction and transesterification using the Blight and Dyer method. The composition of fatty acids methyl esters was analyzed and quantified by a gas chromatography (Agilent 7890A), equipped with a flame ionization detector (FID) and Agilent Chromatography Workstation software. The highest mean of intake occurred during the fifth to sixth months with, 1067.37±629.66 µg RE/day for vitamin A, during the first two months with, 0.89±0.84 µg RE/day of vitamin D, 5.85±2.49 mg/day while during the fifth to sixth months with, 17.28±11.74 µg /day of Vitamin E and at the first two months of lactation period with, 91.60±55.26 mg per day for vitamin C. Despite the fact that there was no significant correlation between vitamin intake and the fatty acid content of human milk, the study discovered a variety of patterns of correlation. Saturated fatty acids (SFA) in human milk were only positively correlated with vitamin D and C, while monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) were positively correlated with vitamin A, E, and K and negatively correlated with the rest. As a result, the fatty acid composition of human milk is less dependent on micronutrient dietary intake and more dependent on De-Novo synthesis in the mammary gland.

Effects on Maternal Macronutrient Intake Towards Human Milk’s Fatty Acids Composition

While fatty acids found in human milk account for half of the energy consumed by exclusively breastfed infants, fatty acids such as monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA) plays critical roles in infant growth. Fatty acids components in human milk are vary widely accordance to the maternal diet during lactation but has not been sufficiently studied. The objective of this paper was to determine the correlation between maternal macronutrient intake with human milk’s fatty acids composition among exclusively breastfeeding mothers. A total of N=36 lactating mothers were recruited based on convenience sampling basis from Dengkil, Selangor and Kuantan, Pahang. A 24-hour dietary recall (24HR) was used to capture mother’s dietary intake in the past 24 hours. The human milk sample was collected in the next day morning after the diet recall and stored before proceeded to another fatty acids extraction and transesterification process namely Blight and Dyer method. The composition of fatty acids methyl esters was analyzed and quantified by a gas chromatography (Agilent 7890A), equipped with a flame ionization detector (FID) and Agilent Chromatography Workstation software. As overall, the most abundance fatty acids found was SFA ranged (81.90 to 97.7 %) followed with MUFA (2.3 to 18.1%), but PUFA was below detection limit (BDL). Result also indicated that palmitic, stearic, and oleic acids were the three major types of fatty acids determined from human milk. Correlational study also determined that, there was no significant correlation between the human milk’s SFA and MUFA with the same dietary intake and another macronutrient like carbohydrate and protein. Even though there was no significant correlation determined for the most composition, various pattern of correlation was found in the study. Human milk’s SFA only had a positive correlation with dietary carbohydrate but negative with the rest. Different pattern also showed for human milk’s MUFA which only negatively correlate with carbohydrate and fats while positive for the rest. Thus, overall, this fat composition is known to have higher variation in terms of concentration of its components compared to another macronutrient even within the same population. Aside from geographical considerations, maternal nationality and age have a substantial impact on the fatty acid composition of human milk.

Influence of maternal body mass index on human milk composition and associations to infant metabolism and gut colonisation: MAINHEALTH – a study protocol for an observational birth cohort

IntroductionHuman milk provides all macronutrients for growth, bioactive compounds, micro-organisms and immunological components, which potentially interacts with and primes infant growth and, development, immune responses and the gut microbiota of...

Availability of macronutrients in lyophilized human milk used to supply the nutritional needs of preterm newborns

Human Milk (HM) is the optimal source of nutrition for preterm newborns (PTNBs). Still, adapting the appropriate nutrient supply for these babies is a major challenge. Lyophilization is a common procedure employed to conserve HM that enables reconstitution of the milk in different volumes, therefore it provides better control of nutrient content, and consequently facilitates adapting its nutritional content to better fulfill the needs of PTNBs. Thus, this study assessed the proximate composition of HM, lyophilized HM, and hydrated lyophilized HM. For that matter, mature HM of 20 mothers was collected and sampled into 3 sample pools (HM, lyophilized HM, and hydrated lyophilized HM) for further analysis to define their proximate composition. Results demonstrated that lyophilization increased by 8-fold ash, protein, lipid, and carbohydrate content, and energy values compared to HM. Moreover, dilution of 1 g of lyophilized HM with 3.5 g of water was proven ideal for babies weighing up to 1.5 kg, as it provides macronutrient concentrations that approach the recommended nutritional needs. Furthermore, lyophilized HM displayed potential as a possible replacement of infant formulas since, regarding macronutrients, it can supply the nutritional needs of PTNBs.

A computational approach to nutrition science reveals the dynamics of the protein content of human milk

To study the computational aspects of collecting available data in a systematically organized database is becoming a matter of urgency in Nutrition & Food Science. Indeed, major projects on developing big datasets have attempted to fill this gap, but so far with limitations on important facets of food composition such as its temporal variation and uncertainty quantification. The need for methodological data processing, from data acquisition, digital storage, statistics and visualization, via pattern recognition and modelling to prediction and optimization is key to make objective and knowledge-based decisions on scientific and technological issues for food industry, academy and regulation. This study aims to demonstrate the use of a recently developed database on the composition of human milk, the first and easily the most complex food in one's life. We show that the purpose-built ontology of the database, with novelties like considering the food composition as a temporal and stochastic response, can help to recognize patterns in the variation of its protein content. Industrial relevance textThis study highlights the need (i) for introducing ISO-like standards how to digitize food composition data; (ii) for computational methods to explore and utilize such databases to their full potentials.

Cannabis use during lactation may alter the composition of human breast milk.

Cannabis is often used by women to manage symptoms of morning sickness during pregnancy, and postpartum stress and anxiety. While exclusive breastfeeding has been recommended for the first 6 months of an infant's life, the presence of cannabinoids in the milk of cannabis users complicates this recommendation. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of maternal cannabis use on changes in the levels of macronutrients and bioactive factors in breast milk. Milk was collected from women who were 6-8 weeks postpartum and were either using cannabis post-delivery, had used cannabis during pregnancy, or were non-users. Levels of cannabinoids, macronutrients, lactose, and SIgA were assessed in the milk of all subjects. THC was detected in the milk of women who reported cannabis use during lactation (n = 13, median: 22 ng/mL). Carboxy-THC, 11-hydroxy-THC, CBD, and CBN were also detected in the milk of women who used cannabis postpartum. Relative to non-users (n = 17), lactose levels were higher and SIgA levels were significantly lower in the milk of subjects who used cannabis during lactation (n = 14). The presence of cannabinoids, along with altered lactose and SIgA levels in the milk of cannabis users, may have implications for infant health. Metabolites of cannabis are found in breast milk and can accumulate in higher concentrations with ongoing consumption, which is concerning for potential exposure among infants born to mothers who consume cannabis. This work reports that lactose levels are increased and SIgA levels are decreased in the breast milk of cannabis users, relative to the milk of non-users. Change in levels of lactose and SIgA in the milk of cannabis users may have significant implications on infant health, which must be investigated in the future to better inform mothers.

Maternal weight status and the composition of the human milk microbiome: A scoping review.

The human milk microbiome is thought to partly contribute to the assembly of the infant gut microbiome, a microbial community with important implications for infant health and development. While obesity has well-established links with the adult gut microbiome, less is known about how it affects the human milk microbiome. In this scoping review, we synthesize the current literature on the microbial composition of human milk by maternal weight status, defined broadly as BMI (prepregnancy and postpartum) and gestational weight gain (GWG). This study followed the a priori protocol published in Prospero (registration #: CRD42020165633). We searched the following databases for studies reporting maternal weight status and a characterization of milk microbiota through culture-dependent and culture-independent methods: MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, CINAHL, and Scopus. After screening 6,365 studies, we found 20 longitudinal and cross-sectional studies investigating associations between maternal weight status and the composition of the milk microbiome. While some studies reported no associations, many others reported that women with a pre-pregnancy or postpartum BMI characterized as overweight or obese, or with excessive GWG, had higher abundances of the genus Staphylococcus, lower Bifidobacterium abundance, and lower alpha diversity (within-sample diversity). This review suggests that maternal weight status is minorly associated with the composition of the milk microbiome in various ways. We offer potential explanations for these findings, as well as suggestions for future research.

Hormonal regulation of mammary gland development and lactation.

Lactation is critical to infant short-term and long-term health and protects mothers from breast cancer, ovarian cancer and type 2 diabetes mellitus. The mammary gland is a dynamic organ, regulated by the coordinated actions of reproductive and metabolic hormones. These hormones promote gland development from puberty onwards and induce the formation of a branched, epithelial, milk-secreting organ by the end of pregnancy. Progesterone withdrawal following placental delivery initiates lactation, which is maintained by increased pituitary secretion of prolactin and oxytocin, and stimulated by infant suckling. After weaning, local cytokine production and decreased prolactin secretion trigger large-scale mammary cell loss, leading to gland involution. Here, we review advances in the molecular endocrinology of mammary gland development and milk synthesis. We discuss the hormonal functions of the mammary gland, including parathyroid hormone-related peptide secretion that stimulates maternal calcium mobilization for milk synthesis. We also consider the hormonal composition of human milk and its associated effects on infant health and development. Finally, we highlight endocrine and metabolic diseases that cause lactation insufficiency, for example, monogenic disorders of prolactin and prolactin receptor mutations, maternal obesity and diabetes mellitus, interventions during labour and delivery, and exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals such as polyfluoroalkyl substances in consumer products and other oestrogenic compounds.

Food Insecurity and Maternal Diet Influence Human Milk Composition between the Infant's Birth and 6 Months after Birth in Central-Africa.

Although the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF recommend that infants should be exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months of life, evidence is scarce on how the mother’s undernourishment status at delivery and maternal dietary factors influence human milk (HM) composition during the first 6 months of life in regions with high food insecurity. The maternal undernourishment status at delivery, maternal diet, and HM nutrients were assessed among 46 women and their 48 vaginally born infants in Bangui at 1, 4, 11, 18, and 25 weeks after birth through 24-h recalls and food consumption questionnaires from December 2017 to June 2019 in the context of the "Mother-to-Infant TransmIssion of microbiota in Central-Africa" (MITICA) study. High food insecurity indexes during the follow-up were significantly associated with them having lower levels of many of the human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) that were measured and with lower levels of retinol (aß-coef = −0.2, p value = 0.04), fatty acids (aß-coef = −7.2, p value = 0.03), and amino acids (aß-coef = −2121.0, p value < 0.001). On the contrary, women from food-insecure households displayed significantly higher levels of lactose in their HM (aß-coef = 3.3, p value = 0.02). In parallel, the consumption of meat, poultry, and fish was associated with higher HM levels of many of the HMOs that were measured, total amino acids (aß-coef = 5484.4, p value < 0.001), and with lower HM levels of lactose (aß-coef = −15.6, p value = 0.01). Food insecurity and maternal diet had a meaningful effect on HM composition with a possible impact being an infant undernourishment risk. Our results plead for consistent actions on food security as an effective manner to influence the nutritional content of HM and thereby, potentially improve infant survival and healthy growth.

Metabolomic and exposomic biomarkers of risk of future neurodevelopmental delay in human milk

BackgroundThe chemical composition of human milk has long-lasting effects on brain development. We examined the prognostic value of the human milk metabolome and exposome in children with the risk of neurodevelopmental delay (NDD).MethodsThis retrospective cohort study included 82 mother–infant pairs (40 male and 42 female infants). A total of 59 milk samples were from mothers with typically developing children and 23 samples were from mothers of children at risk. Milk samples were collected before 9 months of age (4.6 ± 2.5 months, mean ± SD). Neurocognitive development was assessed by maternal report at 14.2 ± 3.1 months using the Ages and Stages Questionnaires-2.ResultsMetabolome and exposome profiling identified 453 metabolites and 61 environmental chemicals in milk. Machine learning tools identified changes in deoxysphingolipids, phospholipids, glycosphingolipids, plasmalogens, and acylcarnitines in the milk of mothers with children at risk for future delay. A predictive classifier had a diagnostic accuracy of 0.81 (95% CI: 0.66–0.96) for females and 0.79 (95% CI: 0.62–0.94) for males.ConclusionsOnce validated in larger studies, the chemical analysis of human milk might be added as an option in well-baby checks to help identify children at risk of NDD before the first symptoms appear.ImpactMaternal milk for infants sampled before 9 months of age contained sex-specific differences in deoxysphingolipids, sphingomyelins, plasmalogens, phospholipids, and acylcarnitines that predicted the risk of neurodevelopmental delay at 14.2 months of age.Once validated, this early biosignature in human milk might be incorporated into well-baby checks and help to identify infants at risk so early interventions might be instituted before the first symptoms appear.

Effect of infant's gender and lactation period on biochemical and energy breast milk composition of lactating mothers from Algeria

In this research, we reported the effect of infant's gender on the calorie and biochemical composition of human breast milk during different lactation periods including colostrum, transitional, and mature milk, and to evaluate the difference of total fat, cholesterol, carbohydrate, lactose, glucose, total proteins, whey proteins, casein and energy between human breast milk for male (HBMM) and for female HBMF). In total, 125 HBM samples were analyzed; 72 samples for male infants and 53 with female infants. The main findings were: (1) the mature fat content in HBM for male infants was significantly higher than for female infants (p = 0.017), and (p < 0.001) for both sexes during all lactation periods. Moreover, no significant difference (p > 0.05) was recorded in cholesterol concentrations at all lactation periods between the milk for the different sexes; (2) the concentration of carbohydrate and lactose in colostrum and mature HBMF was higher than in HBMM. At all lactation periods, there was no significant differences in carbohydrate female BM (P = 0.05). By contrast, there were significant differences in males BM (p = 0.03); the lactose content between HBMF and HBMM differed significantly (p < 0.001). The highest glucose concentration was observed in mature HBMF (0.18 ± 0.11 g/L) compared to HBMM (0.13 ± 0.08 g/L) at a statistical significance of p = 0.032. Furthermore, highly significant differences in HBMF glucose concentrations (p < 0.01) were noticed compared with HBMM (p = 0.08) at all lactation periods; and (3) concerning total protein, whey protein and casein, no significant differences between HBMM and HBMF (p > 0.05) were observed in each period of lactation. The results of the current study highlighted that milk energy density was higher in male HBM than in female HBM at stages of lactation with highly significant (p < 0.001) and confirms that biochemical and energy contents, in HBM of lactating mothers from all lactation periods, were affected by the sex of infants.

Gut microbe metabolism of small molecules supports human development across the early stages of life.

From birth to adulthood, the human gut-associated microbial communities experience profound changes in their structure. However, while the taxonomical composition has been extensively explored, temporal shifts in the microbial metabolic functionalities related to the metabolism of bioactive small molecules are still largely unexplored. Here, we collected a total of 6,617 publicly available human fecal shotgun metagenomes and 42 metatranscriptomes from infants and adults to explore the dynamic changes of the microbial-derived small molecule metabolisms according to the age-related development of the human gut microbiome. Moreover, by selecting metagenomic data from 250 breastfed and 217 formula-fed infants, we also investigated how feeding types can shape the metabolic functionality of the incipient gut microbiome. From the small molecule metabolism perspective, our findings suggested that the human gut microbial communities are genetically equipped and prepared to metabolically evolve toward the adult state as early as 1 month after birth, although at the age of 4 years, it still appeared functionally underdeveloped compared to adults. Furthermore, in respect of formula-fed newborns, breastfed infants showed enrichment in microbial metabolic functions related to specific amino acids present at low concentrations in human milk, highlighting that the infant gut microbiome has specifically evolved to synthesize bioactive molecules that can complement the human breast milk composition contributing to complete nutritional supply of infant.