Markers of Oxidative Stress in Human Milk do not Differ by Maternal BMI But are Related to Infant Growth Trajectories.

Objective Obesity in adults is associated with inflammation and oxidative stress. Whether or not this phenotype is reflected in human milk (HM) composition, or may impact infant growth remains unknown. We investigated whether HM from overweight/obese (OW/Ob) mothers exhibited higher concentrations of inflammatory cytokines and markers of oxidative stress.

Branched-chain fatty acid composition of human milk and the impact of maternal diet: the Global Exploration of Human Milk (GEHM) Study.

Background: An understudied component of the diet, branched-chain fatty acids (BCFAs) are distinctive saturated fatty acids that may have an important influence on health. Human-milk fatty acid composition is known to differ worldwide, but comparative data are lacking on BCFAs.

Objective: We tested the hypotheses that concentrations of BCFAs in human milk differ between populations and are associated with maternal diet.

Epidemiologic Association Between FUT2 Secretor Status and Severe Rotavirus Gastroenteritis in Children in the United States.

Importance: A genetic polymorphism affecting FUT2 secretor status in approximately one-quarter of humans of European descent affects the expression of histo-blood group antigens on the mucosal epithelia of human respiratory, genitourinary, and digestive tracts. These histo-blood group antigens serve as host receptor sites necessary for attachment and infection of some pathogens, including norovirus.

Objective: We investigated whether an association exists between FUT2 secretor status and laboratory-confirmed rotavirus infections in US children.

Longitudinal Development of Infant Complementary Diet Diversity in 3 International Cohorts.

Objectives: To evaluate international differences in the development of minimum dietary diversity (MDD) between 6 and 12 months of age.

Study Design: Breastfed infants (115, 100, and 109 in Shanghai, Cincinnati, and Mexico City, respectively) were enrolled near birth and dietary intake assessed weekly by 24-hour recall of food frequency. Diet diversity per month from age 6-12 months was assessed as at least 4 of 7 food groups provided on the previous day.

Quantitative Analysis of the Human Milk Whey Proteome Reveals Developing Milk and Mammary-Gland Functions across the First Year of Lactation.

In-depth understanding of the changing functions of human milk (HM) proteins and the corresponding physiological adaptions of the lactating mammary gland has been inhibited by incomplete knowledge of the HM proteome. We analyzed the HM whey proteome ( = 10 women with samples at 1 week and 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months) using a quantitative proteomic approach. One thousand three hundred and thirty three proteins were identified with 615 being quantified.

Specific infant feeding practices do not consistently explain variation in anthropometry at age 1 year in urban United States, Mexico, and China cohorts.

Infant feeding practices generally influence infant growth, but it is unclear how introduction of specific foods affects growth across global populations. We studied 3 urban populations in the Global Exploration of Human Milk study to determine the association between infant feeding and anthropometry at 1 y of age. Three hundred sixty-five breastfeeding mother-infant pairs (120 US, 120 China, and 125 Mexico) were recruited soon after the infant's birth.

Heightened attention to supplementation is needed to improve the vitamin D status of breastfeeding mothers and infants when sunshine exposure is restricted.

Although exclusively breastfed infants are at increased risk of vitamin D (vit D) deficiency if vit D supplementation is lacking and sun exposure is limited, assessment of both risk factors in the first year of life is lacking. We evaluated the contribution of vit D intake and sunlight exposure to vit D status in 120 healthy, breastfeeding mother-infant dyads, who were followed up for 1 year. Vitamin D intake and skin sunlight exposure were evaluated using questionnaires.

Temporal changes in milk proteomes reveal developing milk functions.

Human milk proteins provide essential nutrition for growth and development, and support a number of vital developmental processes in the neonate. A complete understanding of the possible functions of human milk proteins has been limited by incomplete knowledge of the human milk proteome. In this report, we have analyzed the proteomes of whey from human transitional and mature milk using ion-exchange and SDS-PAGE based protein fractionation methods.

Fatty acid composition in the mature milk of Bolivian forager-horticulturalists: controlled comparisons with a US sample.

Breast milk fatty acid (FA) composition varies greatly among individual women, including in percentages of the long-chain polyunsaturated FAs (LCPUFA) 20:4n-6 (arachidonic acid, AA) and 22:6n-3 (docosahexaenoic acid, DHA), which are important for infant neurological development. It has been suggested that owing to wide variation in milk LCPUFA and low DHA in Western diets, standards of milk FA composition should be derived from populations consuming traditional diets. We collected breast milk samples from Tsimane women at varying lactational stages (6-82 weeks).

Human milk adiponectin affects infant weight trajectory during the second year of life.

Objective: Serum adiponectin (APN) is associated with lower childhood obesity, and APN concentration in human milk is associated with slower growth during active breast-feeding. We examined infant weight gain in the second year of life after exposure to high or low levels of mother's milk APN.

Methods: Breast-feeding mother-infant pairs were recruited in Mexico City and studied for 2 years; 192 infants with at least 12 months' follow-up were analyzed.

Determination of coenzyme Q10 in human breast milk by high-performance liquid chromatography.

An isocratic HPLC method was developed for the determination of coenzyme Q(10) (CoQ(10)) in human breast milk. After a single-step liquid-liquid extraction, the milk extract was injected directly into the HPLC system. The analytical method is based on pre-column inline treatment of CoQ(10).

Adiponectin is present in human milk and is associated with maternal factors.

Background: Previous studies have shown that human milk has a role in the gastrointestinal, neural, and immune development of neonates. If present in milk, adiponectin would be a promising candidate for influencing infant development, given its metabolic functions.

Objectives: Our objectives were to determine whether adiponectin is present in human milk and to characterize maternal factors associated with potential variation in milk adiponectin concentrations.

The development of a research human milk bank.

Although there are well-established clinical human milk banks in the United States, there are no milk banks specifically intended to foster research on human milk. The authors' goal was to establish a milk bank with a core data set to support exploratory and hypothesis-driven studies on human milk. Donations to the Cincinnati Children's Research Human Milk Bank are accepted within the context of ongoing, hypothesis-driven research or on an ad hoc basis.