Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 23, 2026
Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
Published on: August 25, 2014
Breast-Milk Rubidium and Other Trace Elements are Associated with Neurocognitive Development in Infants at Age of 8
Keyu Jia1, Shuchen Wang1, Qi Dai1,2
1CAS Key Laboratory of Nutrition, Metabolism and Food Safety, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
Insights
Trace elements like rubidium (Rb), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), and strontium (Sr) in breast milk may influence infant neurodevelopment. This study explored these associations, finding potential links that warrant further investigation.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Developmental Neuroscience
- Trace Element Analysis
Background:
- Trace elements are crucial for neurodevelopment, yet data on breast milk rubidium (Rb) and its relation to infant neurodevelopment is scarce.
- Associations between copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and strontium (Sr) in breast milk and infant neurodevelopment remain unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between breast milk Rb, Cu, Zn, and Sr levels and infant neurodevelopment at 8 months of age.
- To assess the impact of these trace elements on attention, working memory, Mental Development Index (MDI), and Psychomotor Development Index (PDI).
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 117 breastfed infants was studied, with breast milk samples collected at 42 days and 8 months postpartum.
- Trace elements (Rb, Zn, Cu, Sr) were quantified using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.
- Neurodevelopment was assessed using the A-not-B task and the Bayley Scale of Infant Development III, with generalized linear models and restricted cubic spline regression employed for analysis.
Main Results:
- Nonlinear associations were found between breast milk Rb at 42 days and infant attention at 8 months.
- Positive associations were observed between breast milk Rb and infant MDI scores at both 42 days and 8 months.
- Breast milk Zn and Sr at 42 days showed positive associations with infant attention and MDI scores, respectively. Inverted U-shape associations were noted for breast milk Cu with attention and PDI scores. However, all associations lost significance after Bonferroni correction for multiple tests.
Conclusions:
- Breast milk Rb, Zn, Cu, and Sr may be associated with neurodevelopment in breastfed infants at specific concentrations.
- The findings suggest a potential role for these trace elements in infant neurodevelopment.
- Further research is necessary to confirm and validate these preliminary associations.
Background:
Trace elements may affect neurodevelopment. There is a lack of data on breast-milk rubidium (Rb) in relation to neurodevelopment in infants. The associations of copper (Cu), zinc (Zn) and strontium (Sr) with neurodevelopment in infants remain uncertain.
Objectives:
We sought to evaluate the associations of breast-milk Rb (primary exposure), Cu, Zn, and Sr with neurodevelopment in infants at age 8 months.
Methods:
The study cohort included 117 breastfed infants. Breast-milk samples were collected at 42 days and 8 months postpartum. Breast-milk Rb, Zn, Cu, and Sr were measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer. Neurodevelopment was assessed at age 8 months. The primary outcomes were attention and working memory scores, as evaluated by the A-not-B task. Other outcomes included the Mental Development Index (MDI) and Psychomotor Development Index (PDI) as evaluated by the Bayley Scale of Infant Development III. Generalized linear models and restricted cubic spline regression were used to assess the associations between trace elements and neurodevelopment indices. Bonferroni correction was conducted on all data presented.
Results:
A nonlinear association was observed between breast-milk Rb at 42 days and infant's attention at age 8 months (nonlinearity P = 0.037). Positive associations were observed with infant MDI scores and breast-milk Rb at 42 days (β = 4.46; P = 0.06) and 8 months (β = 3.79; P = 0.009) postpartum. Breast-milk Zn at 42 days was positively associated with infant's attention (β = 0.31; P = 0.039). Sr at 42 days was positively correlated with attention (β = 0.18; P = 0.043) and MDI scores (β = 2.18; P = 0.015) at 8 months. Inverted U-shape associations were observed for breast-milk Cu at 42 days with infant attention and PDI scores. All associations were not significant after correction for multiple tests.
Conclusions:
Our data suggest that Rb, Zn, Cu, and Sr in breast milk at certain concentrations are associated with neurodevelopment in breastfed infants. Further studies are warranted to validate the findings.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Development of Human Microbiota
01:22Gut-Brain Axis