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Advances in Breastfeeding and Human Milk Research

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A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Nutrition and Public Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2021) | Viewed by 50889

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Simon JS Cameron

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Guest Editor

School of Biological Sciences, Institute for Global Food Security, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, UK
Interests: microbiology; human microbiome; human milk; mass spectrometry; metabolomics

Dr. Natalie Shenker

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Guest Editor

Department of Surgery & Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
Interests: human milk; milk banking; epigenetics; breastfeeding; public health

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Human milk is a complex biofluid that provides the optimal source of nutrition to newborns and helps develop their immature immune system. The macronutrient composition was, until relatively recently, the most studied aspect of human milk. Through advances in both our understanding of human milk and associated biological systems, and the repertoire of analytical equipment available to the research community, we now know that it contains thousands of bioactive molecules acting individually and in synchrony to drive and programme the normal development of each organ system. The emergence of the human microbiome at the forefront of hypotheses linking early life feeding to the development of chronic diseases shows the importance of considering a systems biology approach to human milk research.

The aim of this Special Issue is to bring together multidisciplinary breastfeeding and human milk researchers who are exploring new frontiers in either the biological role and function of human milk components or the application of new analytical techniques to expand the possibilities of human milk research.

Dr. Simon JS Cameron
Dr. Natalie Shenker
Guest Editors

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Keywords

breastfeeding
human milk
analytical methods
systems biology

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 2959 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Presence and Levels of Galactosyllactoses and Other Oligosaccharides in Human Milk and Their Variation during Lactation and According to Maternal Phenotype

by Simone R. B. M. Eussen, Marko Mank, Robert Kottler, Xenia-Katharina Hoffmann, Alexander Behne, Erdmann Rapp, Bernd Stahl, M. Luisa Mearin and Berthold Koletzko

Nutrients 2021, 13(7), 2324; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nu13072324 - 06 Jul 2021

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 6735

Abstract

Among the human milk oligosaccharides (HMOS), the galactosyllactoses (GLs) are only limitedly studied. This study aims to describe the presence and relative levels of HMOS, including GLs, in human milk (HM) according to maternal Secretor and Lewis (SeLe) phenotype and lactation stage. Relative levels of 19 HMOS were measured in 715 HM samples collected in the first 4 months postpartum from 371 donors participating in the PreventCD study. From a subset of 24 Dutch women (171 HM samples), samples were collected monthly up to 12 months postpartum and were additionally analyzed for relative and absolute levels of β6′-GL, β3′-GL and α3′-GL. Maternal SeLe phenotype or HM group was assigned based on the presence of specific fucosylated HMOS. Most HMOS, including β6′- and β3′-GL, were present in the vast majority (≥75%) of HM samples, whereas others (e.g., LNDFH II, 2′-F-LNH and α3′-GL) only occurred in a low number (<25%) of samples. Clear differences were observed between the presence and relative levels of the HMOS according to the maternal phenotype and lactation stage. Absolute concentrations of β6′-GL and β3′-GL were higher in HM group IV samples compared to samples of the other three HM groups. β3′-GL was also higher in HM group II samples compared to HM group I samples. β3′-GL and β6′-GL were stable over lactation stages. In conclusion, presence and levels of HMOS vary according to HM group and lactation stage. Not all HMOS behave similarly: some HMOS depend strongly on maternal phenotype and/or lactation stage, whereas others do not. β3′-GL and β6′-GL were present in low concentrations in over 75% of the analyzed HM samples and showed differences between HM groups, but not between the lactation stages. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Breastfeeding and Human Milk Research)

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9 pages, 1045 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Association between Maternal Stress and Glucocorticoid Rhythmicity in Human Milk

by Michelle Romijn, Luca J. L. van Tilburg, Jonneke J. Hollanders, Bibian van der Voorn, Paul de Goede, Koert M. Dolman, Annemieke C. Heijboer, Birit F. P. Broekman, Joost Rotteveel and Martijn J. J. Finken

Nutrients 2021, 13(5), 1608; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nu13051608 - 11 May 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2144

Abstract

Background: Chronic stress is often accompanied by alterations in the diurnal rhythm of hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal activity. However, there are limited data on the diurnal rhythmicity of breast milk glucocorticoids (GCs) among women with psychological distress. We compared mothers who sought consultation at an expertise center for pregnant women with an increased risk of psychological distress with control mothers for GC diurnal rhythmicity in milk and saliva obtained at the same time. Methods: We included 19 mothers who sought consultation at the psychiatry–obstetric–pediatric (POP) outpatient clinic and 44 control mothers. One month postpartum, mothers collected on average eight paired milk and saliva samples during a 24 h period. GC levels were measured using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. GC rhythmicity parameters were determined with specialized software. Results: For both milk and saliva, no group differences regarding GC rhythms were found. Milk cortisol area under the curve with respect to the ground was lower in the POP group than in the control group (p = 0.02). GC levels in human milk and saliva were highly correlated within each group (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Although there were no differences between groups in GC rhythmicity, the total amount of milk cortisol was lower in the POP group. Long-term follow-up is needed to address the impact of vertical transmission of breast milk GCs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Breastfeeding and Human Milk Research)

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10 pages, 439 KiB

Open AccessArticle

What Are the Maternal Factors that Potentially Intervenes in the Nutritional Composition of Human Milk?

by Yasmin Amaral, Leila Silva, Fernanda Soares, Daniele Marano, Sylvia Nehab, Andrea Abranches, Ana Carolina Costa and Maria Elisabeth Moreira

Nutrients 2021, 13(5), 1587; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nu13051587 - 10 May 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2321

Abstract

Background: To evaluate the potential factors associated with the nutritional composition of human milk of puerperal women. Methods: cross-sectional study, conducted between March 2016 and August 2017, with 107 women, selected in a Tertiary Health Care Tertiary Health Facility of the Unified Health System (SUS) in the Municipality of Rio de Janeiro. Data were collected two months after delivery. The dependent variable of the study was the nutritional composition of human milk. We divided the independent variables into hierarchical levels: distal (age, schooling, parity and pregestational nutritional status), intermediate (number of prenatal visits and gestational weight gain) and proximal (alcohol consumption, smoking, diabetes mellitus and hypertension). For data analysis, we applied the multiple linear regression, centered on the hierarchical model. Only the variables associated with the nutritional composition of breast milk remained in the final model at a 5% level of significance. Results: The nutritional composition of human milk yielded by women with pregestational overweight, smokers and hypertensive had higher amounts of lipids and energy. Conversely, women with gestational weight gain below the recommended had lower amounts of these components. Conclusion: The evaluation of factors associated with the nutritional composition of human milk is extremely important to assist post-partum care practices. In this study, we observed that lipid and energy contents were associated to pregestational nutritional status, gestational weight gain, smoking and hypertension. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Breastfeeding and Human Milk Research)

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14 pages, 569 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Human Milk Exosomal MicroRNA: Associations with Maternal Overweight/Obesity and Infant Body Composition at 1 Month of Life

by Kruti B. Shah, Steven D. Chernausek, Lori D. Garman, Nathan P. Pezant, Jasmine F. Plows, Harmeet K. Kharoud, Ellen W. Demerath and David A. Fields

Nutrients 2021, 13(4), 1091; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nu13041091 - 27 Mar 2021

Cited by 42 | Viewed by 5571

Abstract

Among all the body fluids, breast milk is one of the richest sources of microRNAs (miRNAs). MiRNAs packaged within the milk exosomes are bioavailable to breastfeeding infants. The role of miRNAs in determining infant growth and the impact of maternal overweight/obesity on human milk (HM) miRNAs is poorly understood. The objectives of this study were to examine the impact of maternal overweight/obesity on select miRNAs (miR-148a, miR-30b, miR-29a, miR-29b, miR-let-7a and miR-32) involved in adipogenesis and glucose metabolism and to examine the relationship of these miRNAs with measures of infant body composition in the first 6 months of life. Milk samples were collected from a cohort of 60 mothers (30 normal-weight [NW] and 30 overweight [OW]/obese [OB]) at 1-month and a subset of 48 of these at 3 months of lactation. Relative abundance of miRNA was determined using real-time PCR. The associations between the miRNAs of interest and infant weight and body composition at one, three, and six months were examined after adjusting for infant gestational age, birth weight, and sex. The abundance of miR-148a and miR-30b was lower by 30% and 42%, respectively, in the OW/OB group than in the NW group at 1 month. miR-148a was negatively associated with infant weight, fat mass, and fat free mass, while miR-30b was positively associated with infant weight, percent body fat, and fat mass at 1 month. Maternal obesity is negatively associated with the content of select miRNAs in human milk. An association of specific miRNAs with infant body composition was observed during the first month of life, suggesting a potential role in the infant’s adaptation to enteral nutrition. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Breastfeeding and Human Milk Research)

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22 pages, 2939 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Epigenome-Wide Association of Infant Feeding and Changes in DNA Methylation from Birth to 10 Years

by Yamini Mallisetty, Nandini Mukherjee, Yu Jiang, Su Chen, Susan Ewart, S. Hasan Arshad, John W. Holloway, Hongmei Zhang and Wilfried Karmaus

Nutrients 2021, 13(1), 99; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nu13010099 - 30 Dec 2020

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3500

Abstract

Epigenetic factors have been suggested as mediators of early-life nutrition to future health. Prior studies focused on breastfeeding effects on DNA methylation (DNAm), ignoring other feeding modes. In this analysis of the Isle of Wight birth cohort, feeding modes were categorized as exclusive breastfeeding (EBF), exclusive formula feeding (EFF), and mixed feeding based on whether the respective feeding mode lasted for at least 3 months. In addition, in the past, infant feeding modes were assessed using DNAm at one time point in childhood, not changes of DNAm. In this paper, methylation differences (delta DNAm) were calculated by subtracting residual methylation values at birth from age 10 years (adjusting for cell types and season of blood collection at both ages). These deltas were estimated for all methylation sites where cytosine was followed by guanine (cytosine guanine dinucleotide (CpG) sites). Then, we performed an epigenome-wide association study contrasting EBF, EFF, and mixed feeding with delta DNAm that represents changes in methylation from birth to 10 years. A total of 87 CpGs (EBF: 27 CpGs, EFF: 48 CpGs, mixed: 12 CpGs) were identified using separate linear regression models adjusting for confounders and multiple testing. The sum of all changes in methylation from birth to age 10 years was significantly lower in the EFF group. Correspondingly, the number of CpGs with a methylation decline was 4.7% higher reflecting 13,683 CpGs. Lower methylation related to exclusive formula feeding and its adverse potential for the child’s development needs future research to reduce adverse health effects. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Breastfeeding and Human Milk Research)

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19 pages, 2986 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Metabolomic and Metataxonomic Fingerprinting of Human Milk Suggests Compositional Stability over a Natural Term of Breastfeeding to 24 Months

by Natalie S. Shenker, Alvaro Perdones-Montero, Adam Burke, Sarah Stickland, Julie A.K. McDonald, Kate Alexander-Hardiman, James Flanagan, Zoltan Takats and Simon J.S. Cameron

Nutrients 2020, 12(11), 3450; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nu12113450 - 11 Nov 2020

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 25185

Abstract

Sparse data exist regarding the normal range of composition of maternal milk beyond the first postnatal weeks. This single timepoint, observational study in collaboration with the ‘Parenting Science Gang’ citizen science group evaluated the metabolite and bacterial composition of human milk from 62 participants (infants aged 3–48 months), nearly 3 years longer than previous studies. We utilised rapid evaporative ionisation mass spectrometry (REIMS) for metabolic fingerprinting and 16S rRNA gene metataxonomics for microbiome composition analysis. Milk expression volumes were significantly lower beyond 24 months of lactation, but there were no corresponding changes in bacterial load, composition, or whole-scale metabolomic fingerprint. Some individual metabolite features (~14%) showed altered abundances in nursling age groups above 24 months. Neither milk expression method nor nursling sex affected metabolite and metataxonomic fingerprints. Self-reported lifestyle factors, including diet and physical traits, had minimal impact on metabolite and metataxonomic fingerprints. Our findings suggest remarkable consistency in human milk composition over natural-term lactation. The results add to previous studies suggesting that milk donation can continue up to 24 months postnatally. Future longitudinal studies will confirm the inter-individual and temporal nature of compositional variations and the use of donor milk as a personalised therapeutic. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Breastfeeding and Human Milk Research)

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Review

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20 pages, 664 KiB

Open AccessReview

Human Milk Oligosaccharide Profiles and Associations with Maternal Nutritional Factors: A Scoping Review

by Caren Biddulph, Mark Holmes, Anna Kuballa, Peter S. W. Davies, Pieter Koorts, Roger J. Carter and Judith Maher

Nutrients 2021, 13(3), 965; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/nu13030965 - 17 Mar 2021

Cited by 23 | Viewed by 4354

Abstract

Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) are complex unconjugated glycans associated with positive infant health outcomes. This study has examined current knowledge of the effect of maternal diet and nutritional status on the composition of HMOs in breast milk. Using the PRISMA-ScR guidelines, a comprehensive, systematic literature search was conducted using Scopus, Web of Science, Global Health (CABI), and MEDLINE. Titles and abstracts were screened independently by two reviewers against predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Fourteen studies met the inclusion criteria and reported on maternal dietary intake (n = 3), maternal body composition indices (n = 9), and dietary supplementation interventions (n = 2). In total, data from 1388 lactating mothers (4011 milk samples) were included. Design methodologies varied substantially across studies, particularly for milk sample collection, HMO analysis, dietary and body composition assessment. Overall, this review has identified potential associations between maternal dietary intake and nutritional status and the HMO composition of human milk, though an abundance and sufficiency of evidence is lacking. Standardised procedures for human milk sample collection and HMO analysis, along with robust and validated nutrition assessment techniques, should be employed to further investigate the impact of maternal nutritional factors on HMO composition. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Breastfeeding and Human Milk Research)

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