Human milk oligosaccharides are associated with protection against diarrhea in breast-fed infants.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the association between maternal milk levels of 2-linked fucosylated oligosaccharide and prevention of diarrhea as a result of Campylobacter, caliciviruses, and diarrhea of all causes in breast-fed infants.


METHODS
Data and banked samples were analyzed from 93 breast-feeding mother-infant pairs who were prospectively studied during 1988-1991 from birth to 2 years with infant feeding and diarrhea data collected weekly; diarrhea was diagnosed by a study physician. Milk samples obtained 1 to 5 weeks postpartum were analyzed for oligosaccharide content. Data were analyzed by Poisson regression.


RESULTS
Total 2-linked fucosyloligosaccharide in maternal milk ranged from 0.8 to 20.8 mmol/L (50%-92% of milk oligosaccharide). Moderate-to-severe diarrhea of all causes (n=77 cases) occurred less often (P=.001) in infants whose milk contained high levels of total 2-linked fucosyloligosaccharide as a percent of milk oligosaccharide. Campylobacter diarrhea (n=31 cases) occurred less often (P=.004) in infants whose mother's milk contained high levels of 2'-FL, a specific 2-linked fucosyloligosaccharide, and calicivirus diarrhea (n=16 cases) occurred less often (P=.012) in infants whose mother's milk contained high levels of lacto-N-difucohexaose (LDFH-I), another 2-linked fucosyloligosaccharide.


CONCLUSIONS
This study provides novel evidence suggesting that human milk oligosaccharides are clinically relevant to protection against infant diarrhea.
Morrow
Ardythe L
AL
Center for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45229-3039, USA. Ardythe.Morrow@chmcc.org
Ruiz-Palacios
Guillermo M
GM
Altaye
Mekibib
M
Jiang
Xi
X
Guerrero
M Lourdes
ML
Meinzen-Derr
Jareen K
JK
Farkas
Tibor
T
Chaturvedi
Prasoon
P
Pickering
Larry K
LK
Newburg
David S
DS
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001942:Breast Feeding; D002169:Campylobacter Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003625:Data Collection; D003968:Diarrhea, Infantile / Q000145:classification / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008423:Maternal Age; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000737:chemistry*; D009844:Oligosaccharides / Q000378:metabolism / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016012:Poisson Distribution; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
D009844:Oligosaccharides