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Author Spotlight: Studying the Impact of Maternal Dietary Deficiencies on Long-Term Offspring Health Outcomes
Published on: June 28, 2024
516
Non-nutritive bioactive components in maternal milk and offspring development: a scoping review
Shafinaz Eisha1,2, Ishraq Joarder1, Sanoji Wijenayake1,3
1Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Environmental Epigenetics and Development, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease
|April 7, 2022
Summary
Maternal factors significantly impact offspring development during lactation. This review highlights how maternal exposures alter milk composition, affecting offspring growth, metabolism, and behavior, with maternal obesity being a key influence.
Area of Science:
- Mammalian developmental biology
- Nutritional science
- Reproductive health
Background:
- Lactation is a crucial period where maternal factors profoundly influence offspring development.
- Milk composition is dynamic and affected by maternal exposures, impacting offspring health outcomes.
- Understanding these maternal-offspring links is vital for early life programming.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current literature on maternal factors influencing lactation biology.
- To highlight associations between milk composition changes and offspring outcomes.
- To identify knowledge gaps and future research directions.
Main Methods:
- Scoping review adhering to PRISMA-ScR guidelines.
- Comprehensive literature search and analysis of 3,275 papers.
- Inclusion of 40 primary research articles based on eligibility criteria.
Main Results:
- Maternal obesity is a significant factor altering milk's non-nutritive bioactive components.
- Changes in milk composition due to maternal factors are strongly linked to offspring growth and development.
- Offspring growth and development are primary outcomes influenced by early-life milk composition alterations.
Conclusions:
- Maternal exposures critically shape offspring outcomes via milk composition during lactation.
- Maternal obesity presents a notable risk factor impacting milk bioactivity and offspring health.
- Further research is needed to fully elucidate these complex maternal-offspring interactions and inform interventions.
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