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Published on: July 28, 2022
Influence of Maternal Milk on the Neonatal Intestinal Microbiome
Kathyayini P Gopalakrishna1, Timothy W Hand1
1R. K. Mellon Institute for Pediatric Research, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15217, USA.
Abstract:
The intestinal microbiome plays an important role in maintaining health throughout life. The microbiota develops progressively after birth and is influenced by many factors, including the mode of delivery, antibiotics, and diet. Maternal milk is critically important to the development of the neonatal intestinal microbiota. Different bioactive components of milk, such as human milk oligosaccharides, lactoferrin, and secretory immunoglobulins, modify the composition of the neonatal microbiota. In this article, we review the role of each of these maternal milk-derived bioactive factors on the microbiota and how this modulation of intestinal bacteria shapes health, and disease.
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