Satiety Factors Oleoylethanolamide, Stearoylethanolamide, and Palmitoylethanolamide in Mother's Milk Are Strongly Associated with Infant Weight at Four Months of Age-Data from the Odense Child Cohort.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Case-control comparison nested within a birth cohort
PubMed 30428553 · doi:10.3390/nu10111747
What was done
Researchers measured levels of three satiety-inducing N-acylethanolamines—oleoylethanolamide (OEA), stearoylethanolamide (SEA), and palmitoylethanolamide (PEA)—in human breast milk samples collected at four months postpartum from 100 mothers in the Odense Child Cohort. Mothers were selected based on infant weight-for-age Z-scores (WAZ) at four months: 50 high WAZ and 50 low WAZ. Lipid concentrations were determined via ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Linear and logistic regression analyses evaluated associations with infant anthropometry and growth from birth, adjusted for birth weight, early formula supplementation, and maternal pre-pregnancy BMI.
What was found
Mean concentrations of OEA, SEA, and PEA were significantly lower in breast milk of mothers to high WAZ infants compared to low WAZ infants (all p < 0.02). Higher SEA concentration was significantly associated with lower infant triceps skinfold thickness (β = -2.235 mm, 95% CI: -4.04 to -0.43, p = 0.016) and reduced daily weight gain since birth (β = -8.169 g/day, 95% CI: -15.26 to -1.08, p = 0.024).
Why it matters
This study provides evidence that bioactive satiety lipids in human milk correlate with infant adiposity and growth rates, pointing toward a possible biochemical mechanism for appetite regulation during early infancy.
Limits
The design is observational and cannot prove causality; milk lipid differences may be a cause or a consequence of infant feeding patterns. The sample size is modest (n = 100) and uses an extreme-group selection (high vs. low WAZ) rather than an unselected cohort. Total milk intake volume and feeding frequency were not reported in the abstract.
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