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Human milk enhances antioxidant defenses against hydroxyl radical aggression in preterm infants

Ana Ledo1, Alessandro Arduini, Miguel A Asensi

  • 1Division of Neonatology, Hospital Universitario Materno Infantil La Fe, Valencia, Spain.

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
|December 6, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Preterm infants experience oxidative stress, but feeding them human milk helps reduce harmful byproducts. Human milk offers partial protection against this stress compared to preterm formula.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal physiology
  • Biochemistry
  • Pediatric nutrition

Background:

  • Preterm infants have underdeveloped antioxidant systems, increasing susceptibility to oxidative stress.
  • Hydroxyl radicals, potent reactive oxygen species, lack direct measurement methods but their activity can be inferred from DNA and phenylalanine oxidation byproducts.
  • Human milk exhibits a higher antioxidant capacity than infant formula.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether feeding human milk to preterm infants can mitigate oxidative stress.
  • To compare the levels of oxidative stress markers in preterm infants fed human milk versus preterm formula.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of stable preterm infants was divided into two groups: exclusively fed human milk (HM) or preterm formula (PTF).
  • Urine samples were analyzed for 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG)/2'-deoxyguanosine (2dG) ratio and ortho-tyrosine (o-Tyr)/Phe ratio using HPLC-tandem mass spectrometry.
  • Healthy term newborns served as controls.

Main Results:

  • Both preterm groups showed higher metabolite elimination than controls.
  • The PTF group had significantly higher urinary 8-oxodG/2dG and o-Tyr/Phe ratios compared to the HM group.
  • A correlation between 8-oxodG/2dG and o-Tyr/Phe ratios was observed, influenced by gestational age and birth weight.

Conclusions:

  • Prematurity is linked to ongoing oxidative stress.
  • Human milk consumption provides partial protection against oxidative stress in preterm infants.
Abstract

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