Exploring the association between human breast milk lipids and early adiposity rebound in children: A case-control...

Area of Science:

• Human Growth and Development
• Nutritional Biochemistry
• Pediatric Endocrinology

Background:

• Adiposity rebound (AR) signifies the initial rise in BMI during infant growth, with early AR (<5 years) increasing risks for future adiposity and metabolic disorders.
• Breastfed infants exhibit lower incidence of early AR, highlighting the role of breast milk composition.
• While breast milk lipids are crucial for infant development, specific lipids influencing AR remain underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between specific breast milk lipid profiles and the adiposity rebound (AR) status in children.
• To identify key breast milk lipids that may predict or influence early AR in infancy.

Main Methods:

• A case-control study involving 184 mother-child pairs from the Tohoku Medical Megabank Project Birth and Three-Generation Cohort Study.
• Comprehensive lipidomic analysis of breast milk collected one month postpartum.
• Statistical analyses including partial least square-discriminant analysis and multivariable logistic regression to assess lipid associations with AR status.

Main Results:

• A total of 667 lipid molecules across 12 classes were identified in breast milk.
• Fatty acid-hydroxy fatty acids (FAHFA) and cholesterol esters (ChE) were identified as candidate lipids associated with AR status.
• Exclusive breastfeeding at 1 month postpartum showed FAHFA positively associated (OR 1.57) and ChE negatively associated (OR 0.55) with early AR.

Conclusions:

• Specific breast milk lipids, namely FAHFA and ChE, demonstrate a significant association with children's adiposity rebound status.
• These findings suggest breast milk lipid composition may play a role in regulating infant adiposity and potentially mitigating risks for adult metabolic disorders.