Microbes taken from breast milk by the infant
are identified.
Spanish
researchers have traced the bacterial micro-biota
map in breast milk, which is the main source of nourishment for newborns.
The study has revealed a larger microbial diversity than originally thought: more than 700 species.
The
breast milk received from the mother is one of the factors determining how the bacterial
flora will develop in the newborn baby. However, the composition and the
biological role of these bacteria in infants remain unknown.
A group of Spanish scientists have now used a
technique based on massive DNA sequencing to identify the set of bacteria
contained within breast milk called micro-biome.
Thanks
to their study, pre- and postnatal variables influencing the microbial richness
of milk can now be determined.
COLOSTRUM
Colostrum
is the first secretion of the mammary glands after giving birth. In some of the
samples taken of this liquid, more than 700 species of these microorganisms
were found, which is more than originally expected by experts. The results have
been published in the ‘American Journal
of Clinical Nutrition’.
SAMPLES
“This
is one of the first studies to document such diversity using the
pyro-sequencing technique (a large scale DNA sequencing determination
technique) on colostrum samples on the one hand, and breast milk on the other,
the latter being collected after one and six months of breastfeeding,” explain
the co-authors, María Carmen Collado, researcher at the Institute of Agro-chemistry and Food Technology (IATA-CSIC) and Alex Mira, researcher at the Higher Public Health Research Centre
(CSISP-GVA).
BACTERIA
IDENTIFIED
The
most common bacterial genera in the colostrum samples were Weissella, Leuconostoc, Staphylococcus, Streptococcus and Lactococcus.
In the fluid developed between the first and
sixth month of breastfeeding, bacteria typical of the oral cavity were
observed, such as Veillonella,
Leptotrichia and Prevotella.
“We
are not yet able to determine if these bacteria colonise the mouth of the baby
or whether oral bacteria of the breast-fed baby enter the breast milk and thus,
change its composition,” outlined the authors.
FACTORS
AFFECTING BACTERIA COUNT
Weight
The heavier
the mother, the fewer the bacteria
The
study also reveals that the milk of overweight mothers or those who put on more
weight than recommended during pregnancy contains a lesser diversity of
species.
Labor
The
type of labor also affects the micro-biome within the breast milk: that of
mothers who underwent a planned caesarean is different and not as rich in
microorganisms as that of mothers who had a vaginal birth. However, when the
caesarean is unplanned (intra-partum), milk composition is very similar to that
of mothers who have a vaginal birth.
These
results suggest that the hormonal state of the mother at the time of labor also
plays a role: “The lack of signals of physiological stress, as well as hormonal
signals specific to labor, could influence the microbial composition and
diversity of breast milk,” state the authors.
LAST
WORDS
Given
that the bacteria present in breast milk constitute one of initial instances of
contact with microorganisms that colonize the infant’s digestive system, the
researchers are now working to determine if their role is metabolic (it helps
the breast-fed baby to digest the milk) or immune (it helps to distinguish
beneficial or foreign organisms).
For
the authors, the results have opened up new doors for the design of child
nutrition strategies that improve health. “If the breast milk bacteria
discovered in this study were important for the development of the immune
system, its addition to infant formula could decrease the risk of allergies,
asthma and autoimmune diseases,” conclude the authors.
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