title: Free Amino Acids in Human Milk and Associations With Maternal Anthropometry and Infant Growth.
abstract: Free glutamic acid has an appetite-regulating effect and studies with infant formula have suggested that free amino acids (FAA), especially glutamic acid, can downregulate intake. The content of glutamic acid and glutamine is high in breast milk but varies considerably between mothers. The aim was to investigate whether maternal anthropometry was associated with the content of the FAA glutamic acid or glutamine in breast milk and whether there was a negative association between these FAA and current size or early infant growth in fully breastfed infants.
  
  
  
  From a subgroup of 78 mothers, of which 50 were fully breast feeding, from the Odense Child Cohort breast milk samples were collected 4 months after birth and analyzed for FAA. Information regarding breastfeeding status and infant weight and length was also recorded.
  
  
  
  There was a large variation in the concentration of the FAAs between mothers. Glutamic acid was positively correlated with mother's prepregnancy weight and height (P ≤ 0.028), but not body mass index. There was no negative correlation between the 2 FAA and infant weight or body mass index. Infant length at 4 months was, however, positively associated with glutamine, (P = 0.013) but the correlation was attenuated when controlling for birth length (P = 0.089).
  
  
  
  The hypothesis that a high content of glutamic acid and glutamine in breast milk could downregulate milk intake to a degree affecting early growth could not be confirmed. Maternal factors associated with the level of these FAA in milk and the potential effect on the infant should be investigated further.
authors.affiliation: *Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen †Hans Christian Andersen Children's Hospital, Odense University Hospital, Odense ‡Department of Systems Biology, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark §Pediatric Clinic, IRCCS Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Anni
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Larnkjær
authors.forename: Signe
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bruun
authors.forename: Dorthe
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pedersen
authors.forename: Gitte
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zachariassen
authors.forename: Vibeke
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Barkholt
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Agostoni
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mlgaard
authors.forename: Steffen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Husby
authors.forename: Kim F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Michaelsen
mesh_terms: D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D001942:Breast Feeding; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000032:analysis*; D005973:Glutamine / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D007231:Infant, Newborn / Q000254:growth & development*; D008297:Male; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000737:chemistry*; D011247:Pregnancy
chemical_list: D005973:Glutamine; D018698:Glutamic Acid