Breastfeeding

New York- Even small amounts of breast milk strongly influences the accumulation of viral populations in the infant's gut and provides a protective effect against potentially pathogenic viruses, according to a new study. The findings expand upon prior research that suggests that breastfeeding plays a key role in the interaction between babies and the microbial environment. This latest research, published in the journal Nature, could influence strategies for the prevention of early gastrointestinal disorders, and encourage mothers to feed babies breast milk even when mixed with formula. "These findings can help us better understand why some babies get sick and develop life-threatening infections in their first months of life," said study senior author Frederic Bushman from the University of Pennsylvania in the US. For the findings, the research team measured the numbers and types of viruses in the first stool -- meconium -- and subsequent stools of newborns in the US and Botswana using advanced genome sequencing and other methods. Upon delivery, babies had little or no colonization, but by one month of life populations of viruses and bacteria were well developed, with numbers of viruses reaching a billion per gram of gut contents. Most of the first wave of viruses turned out to be predators that grow in the first bacteria that colonize the infant's gut. Later, at four months, viruses that can replicate in human cells and potentially make humans sick were more prominent in the babies' stools. A strong protective effect was seen for breastfeeding, which suppressed the accumulation of these potentially pathogenic viruses. According to the researchers, similar results were seen for infants from the US and Botswana. The newborns' home country also played a part in the prevalence of viral infections. Babies from Botswana were more likely to have those potentially-harmful viruses in their stools at that 4-month mark compared to the stools of babies from the US. "Location of the mom and baby seems to play a role, probably due to the kind and number of microorganisms babies are exposed to environmentally," said first author Guanxiang Liang. --IANS  

New York. With maternal factors, such as breast milk, having been shown to affect a baby's development, now researchers have found that the carbohydrate, the oligosaccharide 2'FL, found in breast milk enhances cognitive development. In this cohort study of 50 mothers and their babies, the researchers analysed breast milk composition and frequency of feeding at 1 and 6 months of age. Cognitive development was measured at 24 months using the Bayley-III scale, a standardised test of infant and toddler development. "Through our high-throughput analytical platform we can quantify oligosaccharides like 2'FL and many others in hundreds of breast milk samples in a short period of time," said study co-author Lars Bode from University of California in the US. "This technology allows us to associate differences in milk composition with specific infant outcomes like cognitive development, validating existing data from preclinical models or generating entirely new hypotheses," Bode added. The findings, published in the journal PLOS ONE, showed that the amount of 2'FL in breast milk in the first month of feeding was related to significantly higher cognitive development scores in babies by 2 years of age. The amount of 2'FL in breast milk at 6 months of feeding was not related to cognitive outcomes, indicating that early exposure may be more beneficial. Using a statistical technique called mediation analysis, the researchers were able to independently evaluate the effects of breastfeeding in general, and the effects of the oligosaccharide 2'FL. "This enhanced cognitive development in the first 2 years of life raises the question of possible long term impact on a child - in school and beyond," said study first author Paige Berger. These observations allowed the team to conclude that the increased neurodevelopment provided by breastfeeding was due primarily to mothers who were producing more 2'FL for the baby to consume. (Agency)  - Taller men may have lower dementia risk in old age : Study