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Author Spotlight: Studying the Impact of Maternal Dietary Deficiencies on Long-Term Offspring Health Outcomes
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Author Spotlight: Studying the Impact of Maternal Dietary Deficiencies on Long-Term Offspring Health Outcomes

Published on: June 28, 2024

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Infants' Folate Markers and Postnatal Growth in the First 4 Months of Life in Relation to Breastmilk and Maternal

Rima Obeid1, Ines Warnke2, Igor Bendik2

  • 1Department of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, Saarland University Hospital, D-66420 Homburg, Germany.

Nutrients
|March 29, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Higher folate in breast milk is linked to better infant folate status, but not infant growth. Maternal folate levels may decrease as milk folate increases, suggesting adaptive mechanisms in infant development.

Area of Science:

  • Nutritional biochemistry
  • Infant nutrition
  • Maternal-fetal health

Background:

  • Human milk is the primary folate source for exclusively breastfed infants.
  • Understanding the relationship between maternal folate status, human milk folate, and infant outcomes is crucial for optimizing infant health.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between human milk folate and maternal plasma folate with infant folate status and postnatal growth.
  • To explore the impact of maternal folate supply via breast milk on infant development in the first four months of life.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 120 exclusively breastfed infants and their mothers were studied.
  • Maternal plasma and breast milk samples were analyzed for (6S)-5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF) and folate status markers.
  • Infant anthropometric measurements (weight, height, head circumference) were tracked from birth to 4 months.

Main Results:

  • Higher breast milk 5-MTHF concentrations correlated with higher infant plasma folate at 4 months.
  • Mothers with lower breast milk 5-MTHF had higher plasma 5-MTHF, indicating maternal folate depletion.
  • No significant associations were found between maternal or breast milk folate levels and infant anthropometric measurements.

Conclusions:

  • Increased breast milk 5-MTHF positively influences infant folate status.
  • Maternal folate status appears to be inversely related to the amount of folate transferred to breast milk.
  • Infant growth and development may not be directly impacted by variations in milk folate within the studied range, possibly due to compensatory mechanisms.
Abstract

Keywords:
(6S)-5-methyltetrahydrofolatebreastfeedingbreastmilkfolate catabolisminfant nutritionlactation

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