The Effect of Maternal Obesity on Breast Milk Fatty Acids and Its Association with Infant Growth and Cognition-The PREOBE Follow-Up.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Prospective observational cohort follow-up study.
PubMed 31505767 · doi:10.3390/nu11092154
What was done
The PREOBE follow-up study evaluated 78 mother-child pairs categorized by maternal pre-pregnancy BMI into normal-weight (18.5–24.99 kg/m²), overweight (25–29.99 kg/m²), and obese (>30 kg/m²) groups. Fatty acid composition was measured in colostrum and mature breast milk. Infant anthropometry was assessed at 6, 18, and 36 months of age, and cognitive development was assessed at 18 months to determine associations between maternal BMI, milk lipid composition, and child outcomes.
What was found
The abstract reports directional associations without quantitative values (no effect sizes, correlation coefficients, or p-values are provided): - Mature milk had lower arachidonic acid (AA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) than colostrum. - Breast milk from non-normal weight mothers had increased saturated fatty acids and higher n-6:n-3 ratios, and decreased alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), DHA, and monounsaturated fatty acids. - Infant BMI-for-age at 6 months was inversely associated with colostrum n-6 (e.g., AA) and n-3 (e.g., DHA) fatty acids, and positively associated with the n-6:n-3 ratio. - Infant cognition at 18 months was positively influenced by breast milk linoleic acid, n-6 PUFAs, ALA, DHA, and n-3 LC-PUFAs, and negatively affected by the n-6:n-3 ratio, depending on maternal weight.
Why it matters
This study suggests that maternal pre-pregnancy adiposity alters breast milk lipid profiles, pointing to a potential nutritional mechanism influencing offspring growth and neurodevelopment.
Limits
The sample size is small (n = 78) across three BMI categories. The abstract reports no numerical data, confidence intervals, or p-values. As an observational cohort, residual confounding from maternal diet, breastfeeding exclusivity, and socioeconomic factors cannot be excluded. Cognition was measured at only one time point (18 months).
Cited by
- supports Breast milk produced by obese mothers has neurological impacts on the infant's brain.