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Pediatric Clinics of North America Feb 2013Premature infants are at risk for growth failure, developmental delays, necrotizing enterocolitis, and late-onset sepsis. Human milk from women delivering prematurely... (Review)
Review
Premature infants are at risk for growth failure, developmental delays, necrotizing enterocolitis, and late-onset sepsis. Human milk from women delivering prematurely has more protein and higher levels of bioactive molecules. Human milk must be fortified for premature infants to achieve adequate growth. Mother's own milk improves growth and neurodevelopment, decreases the risk of necrotizing enterocolitis and late-onset sepsis, and should be the primary enteral diet for premature infants. Donor milk is a resource for premature infants whose mothers are unable to provide an adequate supply of milk. Challenges include the need for pasteurization, nutritional and biochemical deficiencies, and limited supply.
Topics: Breast Feeding; Enteral Nutrition; Female; Food, Fortified; Humans; Infant Care; Infant, Newborn; Infant, Premature; Infant, Premature, Diseases; Intensive Care, Neonatal; Lactation; Milk Banks; Milk, Human; Pasteurization
PubMed: 23178065
DOI: 10.1016/j.pcl.2012.09.008 -
Biomolecular Concepts Sep 2017The benefits of breastfeeding over formula feed are widely appreciated. However, for many mothers breastfeeding is not possible, highlighting the need for a significant... (Review)
Review
The benefits of breastfeeding over formula feed are widely appreciated. However, for many mothers breastfeeding is not possible, highlighting the need for a significant improvement in the contents of formula feed. In this article, the overlooked role of melatonin and the melatonergic pathways in breast milk and in the regulation of wider breast milk components are reviewed. There is a growing appreciation that the benefits of breastfeeding are mediated by its effects in the infant gut, with consequences for the development of the gut-brain axis and the immune system. The melatonergic pathways are intimately associated with highly researched processes in the gut, gut microbiome and gut-brain axis. As the melatonergic pathways are dependent on the levels of serotonin availability as a necessary precursor, decreased melatonin is linked to depression and depression-associated disorders. The association of breastfeeding and the gut-brain axis with a host of medical conditions may be mediated by their regulation of processes that modulate depression susceptibility. The biological underpinnings of depression include increased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, oxidative stress, kynurenine pathway activity and dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal axis, all of which can decrease melatonergic pathway activity. The inclusion of the melatonergic pathways in the biological interactions of breast milk and gut development has significant theoretical and treatment implications, as well as being important to the prevention of a host of infant-, child- and adult-onset medical conditions.
Topics: Breast Feeding; Child Development; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Humans; Infant; Melatonin; Metabolic Networks and Pathways; Milk, Human
PubMed: 28723608
DOI: 10.1515/bmc-2017-0009 -
Trends in Microbiology Feb 2024Several bacterial species initially colonise the infant gut, but are outcompeted. Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) in breast milk create an environment for...
Several bacterial species initially colonise the infant gut, but are outcompeted. Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) in breast milk create an environment for Bifidobacterium to flourish. Laursen and Roager recently showed a clear link between breast milk and the dominance of Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis in the infant gut.
Topics: Humans; Infant; Female; Bifidobacterium; Milk, Human; Oligosaccharides
PubMed: 38087708
DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2023.11.015 -
Anales de Pediatria (Barcelona, Spain :... May 2012
Topics: Breast Feeding; Humans; Milk Banks; Milk, Human; Spain
PubMed: 22326636
DOI: 10.1016/j.anpedi.2011.06.001 -
Nutrients May 2022This study aimed to assess the content of caffeine and its metabolites-paraxanthine, theophylline, and theobromine-in breast milk according to selected factors. Samples...
This study aimed to assess the content of caffeine and its metabolites-paraxanthine, theophylline, and theobromine-in breast milk according to selected factors. Samples of human milk were collected from 100 women living in the east-northeast region of Poland. Information on the consumption of beverages and foods containing caffeine was collected using a 3 day food record. The determination of caffeine and its metabolite content was performed using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). This study research showed that more caffeine was found in the milk of women living in cities, with secondary education, aged 34-43, and also in milk from the 3rd and 4th lactation periods ( ≤ 0.05). Factors such as place of residence, level of education, age, and stage of lactation influenced the nutritional choices of breastfeeding women, which had an impact on the level of caffeine and its metabolites in breast milk. A positive correlation was found between the consumption of caffeine with food and drinks and its level in human milk.
Topics: Caffeine; Chromatography, Liquid; Female; Humans; Milk, Human; Tandem Mass Spectrometry; Theobromine; Theophylline
PubMed: 35683994
DOI: 10.3390/nu14112196 -
Advances in Nutrition (Bethesda, Md.) Sep 2016Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a devastating intestinal disease in preterm infants characterized by barrier disruption, intestinal microbial dysbiosis, and... (Review)
Review
Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a devastating intestinal disease in preterm infants characterized by barrier disruption, intestinal microbial dysbiosis, and persistent inflammation of the colon, which results in high mortality rates. Current strategies used to manage this disease are not sufficient, although the use of human breast milk reduces the risk of NEC. Mother's milk is regarded as a fundamental nutritional source for neonates, but pasteurization of donor breast milk affects the composition of bioactive compounds. Current research is evaluating the benefits and potential pitfalls of adding probiotics and prebiotics to pasteurized milk so as to improve the functionality of the milk and thereby reduce the burden of illness caused by NEC. Probiotics (live micro-organisms that confer health to the host) and prebiotics (nondigestible oligosaccharides that stimulate the growth of healthy bacteria) are functional foods known to mediate immune responses and modulate microbial populations in the gut. Clinical research shows strain- and compound-specific responses when probiotics or prebiotics are administered in conjunction with donor breast milk for the prevention of NEC. Despite ongoing controversy surrounding optimal treatment strategies, randomized controlled studies are now investigating the use of synbiotics to reduce the incidence and severity of NEC. Synbiotics, a combination of probiotics and prebiotics, have been proposed to enhance beneficial health effects in the intestinal tract more than either agent administered alone. This review considers the implications of using probiotic-, prebiotic-, and synbiotic-supplemented breast milk as a strategy to prevent NEC and issues that could be encountered with the preparations.
Topics: Bacteria; Enterocolitis, Necrotizing; Humans; Milk, Human; Neonatology; Oligosaccharides; Prebiotics; Probiotics; Synbiotics
PubMed: 27633108
DOI: 10.3945/an.116.012237 -
FEMS Microbiology Reviews Nov 2023A number of bacterial species are found in high abundance in the faeces of healthy breast-fed infants, an occurrence that is understood to be, at least in part, due to... (Review)
Review
A number of bacterial species are found in high abundance in the faeces of healthy breast-fed infants, an occurrence that is understood to be, at least in part, due to the ability of these bacteria to metabolize human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs). HMOs are the third most abundant component of human milk after lactose and lipids, and represent complex sugars which possess unique structural diversity and are resistant to infant gastrointestinal digestion. Thus, these sugars reach the infant distal intestine intact, thereby serving as a fermentable substrate for specific intestinal microbes, including Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and especially infant-associated Bifidobacterium spp. which help to shape the infant gut microbiome. Bacteria utilising HMOs are equipped with genes associated with their degradation and a number of carbohydrate-active enzymes known as glycoside hydrolase enzymes have been identified in the infant gut, which supports this hypothesis. The resulting degraded HMOs can also be used as growth substrates for other infant gut bacteria present in a microbe-microbe interaction known as 'cross-feeding'. This review describes the current knowledge on HMO metabolism by particular infant gut-associated bacteria, many of which are currently used as commercial probiotics, including the distinct strategies employed by individual species for HMO utilisation.
Topics: Infant; Humans; Milk, Human; Oligosaccharides; Bacteria; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Sugars
PubMed: 37793834
DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuad056 -
Swiss Medical Weekly Feb 2014Oligosaccharides represent a significant fraction of breast milk, reaching up to 20 g/l in early milk. Human milk oligosaccharides comprise close to 200 structures,... (Review)
Review
Oligosaccharides represent a significant fraction of breast milk, reaching up to 20 g/l in early milk. Human milk oligosaccharides comprise close to 200 structures, which are not absorbed by the intestinal tissue and have no nutritional value for the breastfed infant. Early studies conducted around 1930 already attributed a prebiotic activity to milk oligosaccharides by showing their stimulatory effects on the growth of specific intestinal microbiota. In addition, milk oligosaccharides contribute to the defence against enteric pathogens by acting as soluble decoys preventing the adhesion of viruses and bacteria to their carbohydrate mucosal receptors. The structural complexity of milk oligosaccharides hampers the assignment of specific functions to single carbohydrates. The application of mouse models allows the investigation of unique milk oligosaccharides in the context of intestinal microbiota and mucosal immunity. In this respect, our recent work has demonstrated that uptake of the milk oligosaccharide 3-sialyllactose increases the inflammatory response observed in different colitis models. The proinflammatory action of 3-sialyllactose was attributed on the one hand to the modulation of intestinal bacterial groups, and on the other hand to a direct stimulatory effect on CD11c+ dendritic cells. The availability of pure oligosaccharides in large amounts will soon enable the study of these compounds in humans in the context of intestinal and metabolic disorders associated to various forms of dysbiosis.
Topics: Animals; Gastrointestinal Tract; Humans; Immunity, Mucosal; Mice; Microbiota; Milk, Human; Oligosaccharides
PubMed: 24554478
DOI: 10.4414/smw.2014.13927 -
International Journal of Molecular... Nov 2021Human milk (HM) is considered the most complete food for infants as its nutritional composition is specifically designed to meet infant nutritional requirements during... (Review)
Review
Human milk (HM) is considered the most complete food for infants as its nutritional composition is specifically designed to meet infant nutritional requirements during early life. HM also provides numerous biologically active components, such as polyunsaturated fatty acids, milk fat globules, IgA, gangliosides or polyamines, among others; in addition, HM has a "bifidogenic effect", a prebiotic effect, as a result of the low concentration of proteins and phosphates, as well as the presence of lactoferrin, lactose, nucleotides and oligosaccharides. Recently, has been a growing interest in HM as a potential source of probiotics and commensal bacteria to the infant gut, which might, in turn, influence both the gut colonization and maturation of infant immune system. Our review aims to address practical approaches to the detection of microbial communities in human breast milk samples, delving into their origin, composition and functions. Furthermore, we will summarize the current knowledge of how HM microbiota dysbiosis acts as a short- and long-term predictor of maternal and infant health. Finally, we also provide a critical view of the role of breast milk-related bacteria as a novel probiotic strategy in the prevention and treatment of maternal and offspring diseases.
Topics: Bacteria; Bacterial Physiological Phenomena; Child Health; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Humans; Infant; Milk, Human; Probiotics
PubMed: 34769296
DOI: 10.3390/ijms222111866 -
Advances in Nutrition (Bethesda, Md.) Dec 2022Reported breast milk lipid concentrations may vary with geographical region, postnatal age, and year of sample collection. In this review, we summarized data on the... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Reported breast milk lipid concentrations may vary with geographical region, postnatal age, and year of sample collection. In this review, we summarized data on the concentrations of total fat, total phospholipids, cholesterol, and fatty acids in human milk worldwide and their variation according to lactation stage, study area, and sample collection year. A systematic literature search was performed using the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Medline databases for English-language papers and Wanfang and China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases for Chinese-language papers. A total of 186 studies evaluating the human milk lipid profiles were included. According to random-effects models based on worldwide data, the summarized means (95% CIs) as percentages of total fat were 42.2% (41.1%, 43.3%) for SFAs, 36.6% (35.6%, 37.5%) for MUFAs, and 21.0% (19.3%, 22.7%) for PUFAs. However, the study heterogeneity was high for most types of fatty acids (I2 > 99%). Human milk from Western countries had higher concentrations of MUFAs and 18:1n-9 (ω-9), but lower concentrations of PUFAs, 18:2n-6, 20:4n-6, 18:3n-3, 20:5n-3, 22:6n-3, and total n-6 PUFA compared with those from non-Western countries (P < 0.001-0.011). Significant lactation stage differences were observed for total fat and some individual fatty acids. The concentrations of SFAs and 16:0 were significantly negatively correlated with sampling year (P < 0.001-0.028). In contrast, a significant positive correlation between the concentrations of 18:2n-6 and 18:3n-3 and sampling year was observed (P < 0.001-0.035). Our results suggest that the pooling of data on human milk lipid profiles in different studies should be done with caution due to the high between-study heterogeneity. The concentration of lipids, including total fat, cholesterol, and specific fatty acids, differs in human milk according to lactation stage, geographical region, and year of sample collection.
Topics: Female; Humans; Milk, Human; Fatty Acids; Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; Lactation; Breast Feeding
PubMed: 36083999
DOI: 10.1093/advances/nmac097