Obesogenic Programming Effects during Lactation: A Narrative Review and Conceptual Model Focusing on Underlying Mechanisms and Promising Future Research Avenues.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to explore potential obesogenic programming effects of human breastmilk, particularly related to maternal obesity and high-fat diet during lactation, and propose pathways explaining these effects.
Results Summary
The study suggests three pathways through which human breastmilk may influence child obesity risk: direct effects of milk components on eating behavior, microbiota-mediated effects, and flavor exposure. Findings are preliminary and require further testing.
Population
Offspring of obese humans during lactation.
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
Not specified
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
maternal obesity and a high-fat diet during lactation | increase | obesity risk | offspring | - | enhances | #1 |
human milk components and hormones | neutral | child eating and satiety characteristics | child | - | may directly affect | #2 |
human milk constituents | neutral | child microbiota | child | - | can affect | #3 |
child microbiota | neutral | child eating and weight outcomes | child | - | may influence | #4 |
human milk composition | neutral | child eating and weight outcomes | child | - | may affect | #5 |
Animal studies have consistently demonstrated that maternal obesity and a high-fat diet during lactation enhances obesity risk in the offspring. However, less is known about these potential obesogenic programming effects in obese humans. We propose three important pathways that may explain obesogenic programming effects of human breastmilk. First, human milk components and hormones may directly affect child eating and satiety characteristics. Second, human milk constituents can affect child microbiota that, in turn, may influence child eating and weight outcomes. Third, human milk composition may affect child eating and weight outcomes through flavor exposure. We reviewed a few very recent findings from well-powered longitudinal or experimental human research with regard to these three pathways. Moreover, we provide a research agenda for future intervention research with the overarching aim to prevent excessive pediatric weight gain during lactation and beyond. The ideas presented in this paper may represent important "black box" constructs that explain obesogenic programming effects during lactation. It should be noted, however, that given the scarcity of studies, findings should be seen as working hypotheses to further test in future research.