Human Milk: Composition, Clinical Benefits and Future Opportunities. Группа авторов

Human Milk: Composition, Clinical Benefits and Future Opportunities - Группа авторов


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in verbal IQ at 6.5 years [30].

      These two pieces of experimental evidence give weight to the view that studies that show an association between breastfeeding and superior cognitive outcome are causal.

      Cardiovascular Risk Factors

      Atopic Disease

      Conclusion

      Clearly, the HM-fed preterm infant is not a perfect model for the breastfed term infant, and some outcomes considered above would not occur in term infants. Nevertheless, it is a very useful model and conceptually, experimental studies in preterm infants add much weight to the view that breast milk is likely to have broad and important causal effects on short- and long-term outcomes in healthy full-term infants.

      Further Models

      Given the difficulty in providing an evidence-based underpinning for the impact of breastfeeding on clinical outcome, it is important to explore creatively further opportunities for experimental studies. In this paper, I have considered the value of RCTs in preterm infants and noted the inventive Belarus study on breast milk and cognitive development in term infants. One potentially promising area is the use of RCTs to study the impact on outcome of individual components of breast milk, for instance, HM oligosaccharides.

      Overview

      It has been an objective in this paper to examine some of the general principles that underlie the science of breastfeeding medicine in order to help strengthen this important field, in the interests of improving infant, child, and population health. The critique in the 3 sections of this paper – on human evolution, HM as a gold standard, and the proposed benefits of breastfeeding has significant, practical clinical and public health implications. Breastfeeding and indeed the use of HM in neonatal intensive care is entering a new era of quite unexpected importance for human biology and health.

      Disclosure Statement

      Alan Lucas has taken part in educational events organized by infant food, breast milk and feeding device companies for which he has received an honorarium and expenses. He has provided medical scientific advice to breast milk companies for which he has received consultancy payment.

      References