SEARCHCOHORTnutrition, clinical nutrition

cohort·nutrition, clinical nutrition, micronutrients, pediatrics, epidemiology·PMC10034312

Early development of infant gut microbiota in relation to breastfeeding and human milk oligosaccharides

Frontiers in Nutrition · 8 authors, 6 centres

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This longitudinal cohort study of 91 infants found that exclusive breastfeeding duration and specific human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) like 2'FL and LNFP1 are associated with the development of the infant gut microbiota, particularly the abundance of Bifidobacterium.

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This observational longitudinal cohort study analyzed 337 stool samples from 91 infants and milk samples from 68 mothers in the Cambridge Baby Growth and Breastfeeding Study. The study assessed associations between infant gut microbiota composition (via 16S rRNA sequencing) and factors including infant age, duration of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF), and the concentration of seven specific human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs). Infants breastfed for longer than 6 months had significantly higher levels of B. bifidum compared to those breastfed for less than 3 months. The study also observed a biphasic change in alpha-diversity with infant age. Limitations include the inability to distinguish B. longum subspecies and analysis of only a select panel of HMOs. The results provide evidence that breastfeeding duration and specific HMOs shape early gut microbiome development.

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cohort

SPECIALTY

nutrition

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ORIGINAL PAPER

PMC10034312

Early development of infant gut microbiota in relation to breastfeeding and human milk oligosaccharides

Frontiers in Nutrition

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ABSTRACT

Abstract Background Infant gut microbiota composition is influenced by various factors early in life. Here, we investigate associations between infant gut microbiome development, infant age, breastfeeding duration, and human milk oligosaccharides (HMO) composition in breastmilk. Methods A total of 94 mother-infant pairs were recruited as part of the Cambridge Baby Growth and Breastfeeding Study (CBGS-BF) (Cambridge, UK). Infant stool samples ( n = 337) were collected at 2 week, 6 week, 3 month, and 6 month of age. The 16S rRNA V3-V4 rRNA region was sequenced using MiSeq Illumina to determine microbiota composition and diversity. Mother’s hindmilk samples were collected at birth, 2 week, 6 week, 3 month, and 6 month postpartum. Concentrations of five neutral [2′FL, 3′FL, lacto-N-fucopentaose 1 (LNFP1), LNnT, LNT] and two acidic (3′SL, and 6′SL) HMOs were measured in all milk samples using High-Performance Anion-Exchange Chromatography with Pulsed Amperometric Detection (HPAEC-PAD). We explored the associations between infant gut microbiome parameters and age, duration of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF), and levels of individual HMOs. Results Bifidobacterium was the most abundant genus in infant stool at all-time points, irrespective of breastfeeding duration, with an overall mean relative abundance of 70%. The relative abundance of B. bifidum in stool from infants who were breastfed for longer than 6 months was significantly higher compared to the infant breastfed up to 3 months ( p = 0.0285). Alpha-diversity (both Shannon and ASV-level Richness) of infant gut microbiota showed a biphasic change with infant age, decreasing from 2 weeks until 3 months and then increasing until 6 months of age. Bifidobacterium relative abundance was associated with higher concentrations of 2′FL and LNFP1 in breastmilk across all time-points ( p = 0.049 and 0.017, respectively), with trends toward a higher abundance of B. longum species. No significant association with Bifidobacterium was found for breastmilk LNnT, 3′SL, and 6′SL levels. Conclusion Our study is in line with previous data demonstrating that EBF duration in the first months of life impacts infant gut microbiota composition. The observed links between specific HMOs in breastmilk and bacteria in infant stool provide evidence of how mother’s milk affects infant microbiome development. Keywords: microbiome, human milk oligosaccharides (HMO), bifidobacteria, fucosyllactose, clinical

CITATION EXPORT

Maciej Chichlowski, Janna A van Diepen, Andrei Prodan et al.. Early development of infant gut microbiota in relation to breastfeeding and human milk oligosaccharides. Frontiers in Nutrition. (2023). https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2023.1003032

AUTHORS

8 · 6 CENTRES

Maciej Chichlowski, Janna A van Diepen, Andrei Prodan, Laurentya Olga, Ken K Ong, Guus A M Kortman, David B Dunger, Gabriele Gross

1Medical and Scientific Affairs, Reckitt/Mead Johnson Nutrition Institute, Evansville, IN, United States
2Medical and Scientific Affairs, Reckitt/Mead Johnson Nutrition Institute, Nijmegen, Netherlands
3NIZO Food Research BV, Ede, Netherlands
4Department of Paediatrics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
5MRC Epidemiology Unit, Wellcome Trust-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
6Wellcome Trust-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom