Associations between human milk oligosaccharides and infant body composition in the first 6 mo of life

Abstract

Background: Evidence linking breastfeeding to reduced risk of developing childhood obesity is inconclusive, yet previous studies have not considered variation in specific components of breast milk that may affect early development.

Objective: We examined whether differences in the composition of human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) correlate with infant growth and body composition at 1 and 6 mo of age.

Design: Twenty-five mother-infant dyads were recruited from the University Hospital at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. Infants were breastfed for 6 mo. Breast-milk and infant measures were obtained at 1 and 6 mo of infant age. HMO composition was analyzed by high-pressure liquid chromatography, and infant growth (length and weight) and body composition (percentage fat, total fat, lean mass) were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Relations between HMOs and infant growth and body composition were examined by using multiple linear regression. A priori covariates included maternal prepregnancy body mass index, pregnancy weight gain, and infant age and sex.

Results: Higher HMO diversity and evenness at 1 mo were associated with lower total and percentage fat mass at 1 mo. At 1 mo, each 1-μg/mL increase in lacto-N-fucopentaose (LNFP) I was associated with a 0.40-kg lower infant weight (P = 0.03). At 6 mo, each 1-μg/mL increase in LNFPI was associated with a 1.11-kg lower weight (P = 0.03) and a 0.85-g lower lean mass (P = 0.01). At 6 mo, each 1-μg/mL increase in LNFPI was associated with a 0.79-g lower fat mass (P = 0.02), whereas disialyl-lacto-N-tetraose and LNFPII were associated with a 1.92-g (P = 0.02) and 0.42-g (P = 0.02) greater fat mass, respectively. At 6 mo, each 1-μg/mL increase in fucosyl-disialyl-lacto-N-hexaose and lacto-N-neotetraose was associated with 0.04% higher (P = 0.03) and 0.03% lower (P < 0.01) body fat, respectively.

Conclusion: These findings support the hypothesis that differences in HMO composition in mother's milk are associated with infant growth and body composition. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02535637.

Keywords: HMOs; LNFPI; human milk oligosaccharides; infant body composition; microbiome.

© 2015 American Society for Nutrition.

Figures

FIGURE 1

One-month adiposity is inversely related to 1-mo HMO diversity and evenness. Unadjusted values for infant fat mass (A and B) and percentage fat (C and D) compared with breast-milk evenness and diversity are shown. Multiple linear regression was performed to obtain the parameter estimates (β) after adjustment for mother’s prepregnancy BMI, pregnancy weight gain, sex, and 1-mo infant age (n= 25). HMO, human milk oligosaccharide.

FIGURE 2

Six-month infant body composition is inversely related to 6-mo LNFPI. Unadjusted values for weight (A), lean mass (B), and fat mass (C) compared with breast milk LNFPI at 6 mo are shown. Multiple linear regression was performed to obtain the parameter estimates (β) after adjustment for mother’s prepregnancy BMI, pregnancy weight gain, and infant sex, 6-mo infant age, and the dependent variable at 1 mo (n = 25). LNFPI, lacto-N-fucopentaose I.

FIGURE 3

Six-month fat mass is positively related to DSLNT and LNFPII. Unadjusted values for body fat mass compared with breast-milk DSLNT and LNFPII at 6 mo are shown. Multiple linear regression was performed to obtain the parameter estimates (β) after adjustment for mother’s prepregnancy BMI, pregnancy weight gain, and infant sex, 6-mo infant age, and the dependent variable at 1 mo (n = 25). DSLNT, disialyl-lacto-N-tetraose; LNFPII, lacto-N-fucopentaose II.

FIGURE 4

Six-month body fat percentage is inversely related to 6-mo LNnT and positively related to 6-mo FDSLNH. Unadjusted values for infant percentage fat compared with breast-milk LNnT (A) and FDSLNH (B) at 6 mo are shown. Multiple linear regression was performed to obtain the parameter estimates (β) after adjustment for mother’s prepregnancy BMI, pregnancy weight gain, and infant sex, 6-mo infant age, and the dependent variable at 1 mo (n = 25). FDSLNH, fucosyl-disialyl-lacto-N-hexaose; LNnT, lacto-N-neotetraose.