Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 9, 2026

Isolation and Characterization of Human Umbilical Cord-derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells from Preterm and Term Infants
07:26

Isolation and Characterization of Human Umbilical Cord-derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells from Preterm and Term Infants

Published on: January 26, 2019

15.1K

Choline-related metabolites influenced by feeding patterns in preterm and term infants

Hiromichi Shoji1, Hikari Taka2, Naoko Kaga2

  • 1Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.

The Journal of Maternal-Fetal & Neonatal Medicine : the Official Journal of the European Association of Perinatal Medicine, the Federation of Asia and Oceania Perinatal Societies, the International Society of Perinatal Obstetricians
|June 12, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Infant feeding type significantly impacts choline metabolism. Breastfed term infants show higher choline metabolite excretion than formula-fed infants, highlighting the need to optimize infant formulas.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Pediatrics
  • Metabolomics

Background:

  • Choline is essential for infant development, particularly brain and liver function.
  • Understanding choline metabolism in term and preterm infants is crucial for optimizing nutrition.
  • Urinary metabolome analysis offers a non-invasive method to assess nutrient status.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate choline status in term and preterm infants based on feeding type.
  • To compare urinary choline metabolite excretion between breastfed and formula-fed infants.
  • To evaluate the utility of metabolomics in assessing infant nutrition.

Main Methods:

  • Collected urine samples from term and preterm infants (n=39) across four feeding groups.
  • Utilized capillary electrophoresis-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (CE-TOF/MS) for urinary metabolome analysis.
  • Analyzed infant formulas for choline metabolite content.

Main Results:

  • Term breastfed infants exhibited higher urinary choline metabolite excretion than term formula-fed infants.
  • Preterm infants fed mixed formula showed higher choline and N,N-dimethylglycine excretion than preterm breastfed infants.
  • Preterm formulas contained higher choline and betaine levels compared to term formulas.

Conclusions:

  • Early infant feeding practices significantly influence choline metabolism.
  • Metabolome analysis is a valuable tool for assessing choline status and guiding infant formula modification.
  • Optimizing infant formula composition, especially for preterm infants, is essential for adequate choline supply.

Keywords:
Breastfeedinginfant formulametabolomicspreterm infants

More Related Videos

Transcutaneous Microcirculatory Imaging in Preterm Neonates06:27

Transcutaneous Microcirculatory Imaging in Preterm Neonates

Published on: December 31, 2015

8.6K
Clinical Practice Protocol of Creative Music Therapy for Preterm Infants and Their Parents in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit11:50

Clinical Practice Protocol of Creative Music Therapy for Preterm Infants and Their Parents in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Published on: January 7, 2020

27.8K

Related Concept Videos

Long-term Depression01:05

Long-term Depression

Long-term depression, or LTD, is one of the ways by which synaptic plasticity—changes in the strength of chemical synapses—can occur in the brain. LTD is the process of synaptic weakening that occurs over time between pre and postsynaptic neuronal connections. The synaptic weakening of LTD works in opposition to synaptic strengthening by long-term potentiation (LTP) and together are the main mechanisms that underlie learning and memory.
33.3K
Long-term Depression01:03

Long-term Depression

Long-term depression, or LTD, is one of the ways by which synaptic plasticity—changes in the strength of chemical synapses—can occur in the brain. LTD is the process of synaptic weakening that occurs over time between pre and postsynaptic neuronal connections. The synaptic weakening of LTD works in opposition to synaptic strengthening by long-term potentiation (LTP) and together are the main mechanisms that underlie learning and memory.
Calcium Ion Concentration Mechanism
If over...
3.4K
Fixed Action Patterns01:06

Fixed Action Patterns

A fixed action pattern (FAP) is a specific, hard-wired sequence of behaviors that occurs in response to an external stimulus, called a sign stimulus. The behavior is “fixed” because it is essentially unchangeable—proceeding similarly across individuals of a species every time it occurs.
17.7K
Drug Dosing: Infants and Children01:29

Drug Dosing: Infants and Children

Pediatric patient dosages diverge from adults due to disparities in body surface area, total body water, and extracellular fluid per kilogram of body weight. The dosing regimen considers the variations in pharmacokinetics and pharmacology across distinct age groups, encompassing preterm newborns, infants, young children, older children, and adolescents. Calculation of pediatric patient doses is predicated on determining body surface area, which exhibits a superior correlation with the child's...
312
Patterns of Fever01:26

Patterns of Fever

Before understanding the types and patterns of fever, it is essential to know its phases.
3.9K
Long-term Potentiation01:35

Long-term Potentiation

Long-term potentiation, or LTP, is one of the ways by which synaptic plasticity—changes in the strength of chemical synapses—can occur in the brain. LTP is the process of synaptic strengthening that occurs over time between pre- and postsynaptic neuronal connections. The synaptic strengthening of LTP works in opposition to the synaptic weakening of long-term depression (LTD) and together are the main mechanisms that underlie learning and memory.
58.7K