Absolute quantification of eight human milk oligosaccharides in breast milk to evaluate their concentration profiles and associations with infants’ neurodevelopmental outcomes

2024

Human Milk Oligosaccharides and Infant Development

Sample size: 150 publication 10 minutes Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Keigo Sato, Yoshitaka Nakamura, Kazuhito Fujiyama, Kinuko Ohneda, Takahiro Nobukuni, Soichi Ogishima, Satoshi Mizuno, Seizo Koshiba, Shinichi Kuriyama, Shinji Jinno

Primary Institution: Meiji Co., Ltd.

Hypothesis

The study aims to evaluate the concentration profiles of eight human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) in breast milk and their associations with infants’ neurodevelopmental outcomes.

Conclusion

The study found that certain HMOs in breast milk, particularly 2′-fucosyllactose, are positively associated with head growth and neurodevelopmental scores in infants.

Supporting Evidence

Breast milk 2′-FL levels were positively associated with head growth.
Neurodevelopmental scores were positively associated with 2′-FL levels.
Method validation showed high precision and accuracy for HMO quantification.
Significant differences in HMO levels were observed between secretors and low secretors.
Exploratory analysis indicated positive associations between specific HMOs and neurodevelopmental outcomes.

Takeaway

This study shows that some sugars in breast milk can help babies grow and develop better.

Methodology

The study developed a quantification method for eight HMOs using LC-MS/MS and applied it to breast milk samples from the Tohoku Medical Megabank Project.