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

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.

Human Milk Oligosaccharides: A Comprehensive Review towards Metabolomics

“…Moreover, Sammuel et al also correlated higher concentrations of LNT and LNnT in the milk of overweight mothers compared to those observed in milk from mothers with normal pre-pregnancy BMI (ppBMI) [39]. This aspect was also recently investigated by Saben et al [135], who demonstrated that HMO composition differs among mothers with normal weight, overweight or obesity.…”

“…Apparently, indeed, mothers with higher pre-pregnancy BMI display different HMO patterns (richer in 3′-SL, 6′-GL and lower in LNT) compared to mothers with regular pre-pregnancy BMI [ 40 , 137 ]. Recently, Saben and colleagues [ 135 ] have supported the hypothesis of a pathogenetic connection among HMOs and maternal body composition and nutritional status. They performed HMO analysis of 194 breastfeeding women that were previously enrolled in two longitudinal studies and that presented no pre-existing ongoing medical condition, except for overweight or obesity.…”

“…These findings suggest a potential predictive role for infant growth, with promising future opportunities in nutritional programming. Concerning sialylated HMO concentrations (DSLNT, DSLNH, and FDSLNH), instead, these were negatively associated with maternal BMI, resulting in a lower concentration of these compounds in milk from obese mothers compared to overweight and normal-weight ones [ 135 ].…”

Human Milk, More Than Simple Nourishment

“…In fact, secretor mothers present lower insulin sensitivity and a more significant amount of sialylated HMOs than non-secretory ones. These findings support a protective and growth-promoting role for sialylated HMOs [74,75]. In light of the recent evidence indicating that rotaviruses appear to have learned to use HMOs to their advantage, the potential role of HMO in increasing the efficacy of rotavirus vaccines has been explored.…”

Nutritional Management and Recommendation for Preterm Infants: A Narrative Review

“…However, available evidences show that HMOs promote infant's growth through microbiota-dependent increased utilization of nutrients for anabolism. 121 HMOs are also known as prebiotics as they become substrates for Bifidobacteria which increase the growth of these bacteria. The bacteria will express sialidases or fucosidase which will cleave Fuc or sialic acid (Sia).…”