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The first model of keeping energy balance and optimal psycho affective development: Breastfed infants
Carlo Agostoni1, Alessandra Mazzocchi1, Ludovica Leone2
1Pediatric Intermediate Care Unit, Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Fondazione IRCCS Ospedale Cà Granda-Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
Insights
Breastfeeding promotes healthy infant growth, self-regulation, and better neurodevelopment. This feeding method influences energy expenditure and may impact the gut-brain axis, offering insights for preventive medicine.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Neuroscience
- Microbiology
Background:
- Breastfed infants exhibit distinct growth patterns, including initial rapid weight gain followed by slower rates.
- They demonstrate enhanced self-regulation of hunger and satiety cues.
- Breastfeeding is associated with a reduced risk of later-life overweight and obesity and improved neurodevelopmental outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between infant feeding mode and energy balance.
- To explore associations with total energy expenditure and intake regulation.
- To examine the interaction with neuropsychological development and the role of the gut-brain axis.
Main Methods:
- Literature search for studies on infant feeding mode, energy balance, and neurodevelopment.
- Focus on total energy expenditure (TEE) and intake regulation.
- Investigation of the gut-brain axis and microbiome influence.
Main Results:
- Total energy expenditure (TEE) differs between breast-fed and formula-fed infants, affecting sleep organization.
- Long-term breastfeeding is linked to beneficial effects on child neuropsychological development, potentially modulated by genetics.
- The intestinal microbiome plays a role in influencing neurodevelopment.
Conclusions:
- Early life nutrition, particularly breastfeeding, may have long-term impacts on neurodevelopment.
- Further research is needed to confirm the association between breastfeeding and brain development.
- Investigating energy metabolism and gut flora offers potential for preventive medicine.
Background:
Breastfed infants follow a peculiar growth fashion characterized by a rapid weight gain in the first weeks of life, then followed by a fast decrease in growth rates, a capacity to self-regulate the sense of hungry and satiety, and a minor propensity towards overweight and obesity later on, in parallel with a better neurodevelopmental performance.
Methods:
We searched studies investigating the relationship between the feeding mode in infancy and the energy balance, so the possible associations with total energy expenditure and intake regulation. We focused the research on the interaction with the neuropsychological development and the possible role of microbiome in determinating the normal generation and regular functioning of the brain through the so named "gut-brain axis".
Results:
Total energy expenditure (TEE) is different for breast-fed and formula-fed infants, in particular the feeding mode seems to affect the sleep organisation. Long-term breastfeeding, is one of the most studied factors of neurodevelopment, several studies reporting beneficial effects on child neuropsychological development. Probably this effect is modulated by genetic variations in fatty acid metabolism. Increasing data also showed that the intestinal microbiome exerts several functions which are able to influence neurodevelopment.
Limitations:
There is considerable controversy over whether nutrition in early life has a long-term influence on neurodevelopment. Other studies are needed to confirm the association between breastfeeding and brain development.
Conclusions:
The key points of energy disposal, the role and effects of the instestinal flora represent promising fields of investigation possibly leading to indications for the wide area of preventive medicine.