Effect of Feeding Fresh or Frozen Breast Milk on the Gut Microbiota of Premature Infants: A Prospective Observational Study

The breastfeeding experience of women with multiple pregnancies: a meta-synthesis of qualitative studies

BACKGROUND

The experiences and challenges associated with breastfeeding multiple births can be considerably more complex than those of singletons. Multiple births refer to the delivery of more than one offspring in a single birth event. Emphasizing the needs and experiences of mothers with multiple births during breastfeeding can enable healthcare providers to design targeted interventions that enhance breastfeeding rates. However, existing breastfeeding and health education resources and practices do not fully meet the needs of women who breastfeed multiples. This review aimed to review and synthesize qualitative studies on the breastfeeding experiences of women with multiple births.

METHODS

A systematic search was conducted in 10 electronic databases for papers published from the inception of the database to March 2024. The Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist for Qualitative Research was utilized to evaluate the methodological quality of the studies included. The thematic synthesis method of Thomas and Harden was employed to integrate and analyze the included literature to derive new categories and conclusions.

FINDINGS

Eight studies met the inclusion criteria and quality assessment criteria for this study. Through the integration of their results, four themes were identified: the choice and willingness to breastfeed multiple births; the challenges of breastfeeding multiple births; stage management and individualised adaptation of breastfeeding; and the experience of support.

CONCLUSION

Throughout the feeding process from pregnancy to the postpartum period, mothers with multiple births often have predominantly negative experiences with breastfeeding. Consequently, hospitals should create a multidisciplinary follow-up team comprising obstetrics, neonatology, psychology, and community services to offer specialized and personalized support to these women at various stages.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION

[ https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/ ], identifier [PROSPERO 2024 CRD42024520348].

The relationship between mothers' body composition and anthropometric characteristics of baby and breast milk nutrient content: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

The composition and amount of breast milk is affected by factors such as the duration and frequency of breastfeeding, the time between two breastfeeding sessions, the effectiveness of breastfeeding, breastfeeding technique, genetic characteristics of the mother and diet. Breast milk macronutrients are provided by milk synthesized in lactocytes, mother's diet and maternal stores.

RESEARCH AIM

This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between the body composition of mothers and the anthropometric characteristics of the baby and the nutritional content of breast milk.

METHOD

The descriptive study was conducted between March and November 2023 in a hospital in a low socioeconomic neighbourhood in Turkey. The study sample consisted of 96 mothers and ibabies. Anthropometric measurements of mothers and babies and the nutrient content of breast milk were evaluated on the first postpartum day, Days 5 and 15. Breast milk macronutrient content was analyzed by Miris milk analyzer and body composition of mothers was analyzed by TANITA BC 730.

RESULTS

From the weight and body composition of the mothers in the study group; a positive correlation was found between body fat, muscle and water ratio, and breast milk carnonhydrate and protein (p < 0.05). There was no correlation between the gestational age of the baby and the content of breast milk (p > 0.05). A positive correlation was found between the weight and height of the babies and the macronutrients of breast milk (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

As the weight of mothers increases, breast milk protein and carbohydrate levels increase. As breast milk macronutrients increase, babies' weight and height increase.

The Maternal Diet Index and Offspring Microbiota at 1 Month of Life: Insights from the Mediterranean Birth Cohort MAMI

Background: Maternal diet during pregnancy may play a role in infant health outcomes via the maternal microbiota. We assessed the association of the maternal diet index for the Mediterranean area (MDI-med) with infant gut microbiota at 1 month of life. Methods: The MAMI study is a longitudinal birth cohort in the Mediterranean area. In this work, a cross-sectional study, including 120 mother-infant dyads with available maternal diet and infant microbiota at 1-month-old data, was undertaken. The MDI developed in the US (MDI-US) was adapted for the MAMI cohort (MDI-med). Stratification based on extreme values resulted (22 in the "lower" MDI-med group and 23 in the "upper" group from the mean). Relative microbial abundances and alpha (microbial richness and diversity indexes) and beta diversity (Bray-Curtis distance matrix) were compared between the groups. Results: Higher maternal daily vegetable intake and lower red meat intake were the characteristics of the "upper" MDI-med group. Significantly lower microbial diversity (Shannon and InvSimpson index (p = 0.01)), but no changes in richness (Chao1 index) nor in beta-diversity, using Bray-Curtis distance, were observed in the "upper" group, compared to the "lower" MDI-med group. A higher relative abundance of the Bifidobacterium genus (Actinomycetota phylum) was associated with maternal daily vegetable and yogurt intake. Conclusion: Reduced infant microbial diversity at 1 month of age was associated with "upper" MDI-med scores. Higher maternal intakes of vegetables and yogurt were associated with higher relative abundances of the Bifidobacterium genus in the infant gut. Further studies are needed to understand the link between pregnancy diet, infant microbiota, and health outcomes.