Metabolomic insights into the effects of breast milk versus formula milk feeding in infants

Authors: PHAN, MIMI - Baylor College Of Medicine; MOMIN, SHABNAM - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC); SENN, MACKENZIE - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC); WOOD, ALEXIS - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)

Submitted to: Current Nutrition Reports
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/5/2019
Publication Date: 6/15/2019
Citation: Phan, M., Momin, S., Senn, M., Wood, A.C. 2019. Metabolomic insights into the effects of breast milk versus formula milk feeding in infants. Current Nutrition Reports. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13668-019-00284-2.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13668-019-00284-2

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: This review summarizes the latest scientific evidence for the presence of metabolomic differences between infants fed breast milk (I-BM) and infants fed formula milk (I-FM). Across the studies included in this review, a total of 261 metabolites were analyzed, of which 151 metabolites were reported as significantly associated with infant feeding modality (BM versus FM). However, taken as a whole, the relevant literature was notable both for methodological limitations, such as small sample sizes, and heterogeneity between the studies. This may be why many associations between infant metabolite profile and feeding modality have not replicated across studies. To our knowledge, this is the first review to integrate the available literature on metabolomic differences between I-BM versus I-FM. This narrative review synthesized the data across studies and identified those metabolites which show the most robust associations with infant feeding modality. Methodological limitations of the current studies are identified, followed by recommendations for how to address these in future studies.