Human Milk and Infant Growth: A Systematic Review of Nutritional Outcomes

Year : 2024 | Volume : 13 | Issue : 03 | Page : 1-6
    By

    Tuba Iram,

  1. NPD Executive, Research and Development, CG Corp Global (Wai Wai) Noodles, Gurgaon, Haryana, India

Abstract

Human milk is recognized as the optimal source of nutrition for infants, playing a critical role in their growth and development. This systematic review explores the evidence linking human milk consumption to various growth parameters in infants, including weight gain, length, and head circumference while considering the influencing factors of prematurity and health status. The composition of human milk, rich in essential macronutrients (proteins, fats, carbohydrates) and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), along with bioactive components, such as immunoglobulins and growth factor, contributes significantly to the nutritional outcomes for infants. Clinical studies demonstrate that breastfed infants experience superior weight gain and growth velocity compared to their formula-fed counterparts, with benefits observed in premature infants who face significant growth challenges. The review highlights the importance of human milk in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), where it supports optimal growth parameters and long-term developmental outcomes for preterm infants. Additionally, the health status of both mother and infant plays a pivotal role in influencing the growth responses to human milk, with maternal health directly impacting milk composition and infant health affecting growth trajectories. Mechanistically, the prebiotic effects of human milk oligosaccharides promote a healthy gut microbiota, which in turn supports metabolic pathways critical for growth. The review concludes with recommendations for optimizing infant growth through exclusive breastfeeding, maternal education, and the potential for fortifying human milk for vulnerable populations. The findings underscore the importance of human milk not only as a nutritional resource but also as a crucial factor in enhancing infant growth and development outcomes, emphasizing the need for ongoing research in this vital area of pediatric health.

 

Keywords: NICU, Hormones, Growth Factors, Oligosaccharides, Hormones

[This article belongs to Research & Reviews : Journal of Dairy Science & Technology ]

How to cite this article:
Tuba Iram. Human Milk and Infant Growth: A Systematic Review of Nutritional Outcomes. Research & Reviews : Journal of Dairy Science & Technology. 2024; 13(03):1-6.
How to cite this URL:
Tuba Iram. Human Milk and Infant Growth: A Systematic Review of Nutritional Outcomes. Research & Reviews : Journal of Dairy Science & Technology. 2024; 13(03):1-6. Available from: https://journals.stmjournals.com/rrjodst/article=2024/view=181615



References

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  2. Lockyer F, McCann S, Moore SE. Breast milk micronutrients and infant neurodevelopmental outcomes: A systematic review. Nutrients. 2021;13(11):3848. doi: 10.3390/nu13113848.
  3. Boyce C, Watson M, Lazidis G, Reeve S, Dods K, Simmer K, et al. Preterm human milk composition: A systematic literature review. Br J Nutr. 2016;116(6):1033–1045. doi: 10.1017/S0007114516003007.
  4. Brockway MM, Daniel AI, Reyes SM, Granger M, McDermid JM, Chan D, et al. Human milk macronutrients and child growth and body composition in the first 2 years: A systematic review. Adv Nutr. 2023;15(1):100149. doi: 10.1016/j.advnut.2023.100149.
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  10. Munblit D, Verhasselt V, Warner JO. Human milk composition and health outcomes in children. Front Pediatr. 2019;7:319. doi: 3389/fped.2019.00319.
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  13. Leghi GE, Middleton PF, Netting MJ, Wlodek ME, Geddes DT, Muhlhausler BS. A systematic review of collection and analysis of human milk for macronutrient composition. J Nutr. 2020;150(6):1652–1670. doi: 10.1093/jn/nxaa059.
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  17. Haschke F, Binder C, Huber-Dangl M, Haiden N. Early-life nutrition, growth trajectories, and long-term outcome. In: Human Milk: Composition, Clinical Benefits and Future Opportunities Karger Publishers; 2019. pp. 107–120.
  18. Zalewski BM, Patro B, Veldhorst M, Kouwenhoven S, Crespo Escobar P, Calvo Lerma J, et al. Nutrition of infants and young children (one to three years) and its effect on later health: A systematic review of current recommendations (EarlyNutrition project). Critical reviews in food science and nutrition. 2017;57(3):489–500. doi: 10.1080/10408398.2014.888701.
  1. Cerasani J, Ceroni F, De Cosmi V, Mazzocchi A, Morniroli D, Roggero P, et al. Human milk feeding and preterm infants’ growth and body composition: A literature review. Nutrients. 2020;12(4):1155. doi: 10.3390/nu12041155.
  2. Lockyer F, McCann S, Moore SE. Breast milk micronutrients and infant neurodevelopmental outcomes: A systematic review. Nutrients. 2021;13(11):3848. doi: 10.3390/nu13113848.
  3. Boyce C, Watson M, Lazidis G, Reeve S, Dods K, Simmer K, et al. Preterm human milk composition: A systematic literature review. Br J Nutr. 2016;116(6):1033–1045. doi: 10.1017/S0007114516003007.
  4. Brockway MM, Daniel AI, Reyes SM, Granger M, McDermid JM, Chan D, et al. Human milk macronutrients and child growth and body composition in the first 2 years: A systematic review. Adv Nutr. 2023;15(1):100149. doi: 10.1016/j.advnut.2023.100149.
  5. Boyd CA, Quigley MA, Brocklehurst P. Donor breast milk versus infant formula for preterm infants: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed. 2007;92(3):F169–F175. doi: 10.1136/adc.2005.089490.
  6. Norrish I, Sindi A, Sakalidis VS, Lai CT, McEachran JL, Tint MT, et al. Relationships between the intakes of human milk components and body composition of breastfed infants: A systematic review. Nutrients. 2023;15(10):2370. doi: 10.3390/nu15102370.
  7. Italianer MF, Naninck EF, Roelants JA, van Der Horst GT, Reiss IK, Goudoever JB, et al. Circadian variation in human milk composition, a systematic review. Nutrients. 2020;12(8):2328. doi: 10.3390/nu12082328.
  8. Italianer MF, Naninck EF, Roelants JA, van Der Horst GT, Reiss IK, Goudoever JB, et al. Circadian variation in human milk composition, a systematic review. 2020 Aug 4;12(8):2328.
  9. Elgersma KM, McKechnie AC, Schorr EN, Shah KM, Trebilcock AL, Ramel SE, et al. The impact of human milk on outcomes for infants with congenital heart disease: A systematic review. Breastfeed Med. 2022;17(5):393–411. doi: 10.1089/bfm.2021.0334. 
  10. Munblit D, Verhasselt V, Warner JO. Human milk composition and health outcomes in children. Front Pediatr. 2019;7:319. doi: 3389/fped.2019.00319.
  11. Schoenknecht YB, Moreno Tovar MV, Jensen SR, Parschat K. Clinical studies on the supplementation of manufactured human milk Oligosaccharides: A systematic review. Nutrients. 2023;15(16):3622. doi: 10.3390/nu15163622.
  12. Daniel AI, Shama S, Ismail S, Bourdon C, Kiss A, Mwangome M, et al. Maternal BMI is positively associated with human milk fat: A systematic review and meta-regression analysis. The Am J Clin Nutr. 2021;113(4):1009–1022. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/nqaa410.
  13. Leghi GE, Middleton PF, Netting MJ, Wlodek ME, Geddes DT, Muhlhausler BS. A systematic review of collection and analysis of human milk for macronutrient composition. J Nutr. 2020;150(6):1652–1670. doi: 10.1093/jn/nxaa059.
  14. De Silva A, Jones PW, Spencer SA. Does human milk reduce infection rates in preterm infants? A systematic review. Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed. 2004;89(6):F509–F513. doi: 10.1136/adc.2003.045682.
  15. Gruszfeld D, Socha P. Early nutrition and health: short-and long-term outcomes. In: Evidence-Based Research in Pediatric Nutrition. Karger Publishers; 2013.pp. 32–39.
  16. Kouwenhoven SM, Muts J, Finken MJ, Goudoever JB. Low-protein infant formula and obesity risk. Nutrients. 2022;14(13):2728. doi: 10.3390/nu14132728.
  17. Haschke F, Binder C, Huber-Dangl M, Haiden N. Early-life nutrition, growth trajectories, and long-term outcome. In: Human Milk: Composition, Clinical Benefits and Future Opportunities Karger Publishers; 2019. pp. 107–120.
  18. Zalewski BM, Patro B, Veldhorst M, Kouwenhoven S, Crespo Escobar P, Calvo Lerma J, et al. Nutrition of infants and young children (one to three years) and its effect on later health: A systematic review of current recommendations (EarlyNutrition project). Critical reviews in food science and nutrition. 2017;57(3):489–500. doi: 10.1080/10408398.2014.888701.

 

Regular Issue Subscription Review Article
Volume 13
Issue 03
Received 21/10/2024
Accepted 25/10/2024
Published 07/11/2024
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