In plain words
An oligosaccharide is a chain of sugar molecules. Human milk contains many kinds of them, called , or HMOs. The baby cannot digest most of them. Instead, they reach the gut and feed certain bacteria. Some of them may also act as decoys for germs that try to attach to the gut lining. Formula makers have added some HMOs to infant formula, which has led to debate about how close formula can come to breast milk. The amount of HMOs varies between mothers and across the feeding. Scientists are still learning what the differences mean for a baby. Mothers may see these sugars named on formula labels or in research news.
The deeper version
Human milk contains more than 150 structurally distinct oligosaccharides, at concentrations of roughly 5 to 15 grams per liter in mature milk, varying widely between mothers by secretor and Lewis genotype. Most are resistant to infant digestive enzymes and reach the colon intact, where selected Bifidobacterium species metabolize them. Fucosylated HMOs can act as soluble decoy receptors that inhibit pathogen adhesion. Bode (2009) reviewed their prebiotic and anti-adhesive roles. Trials of formula with added HMOs have reported changes in infant stool microbiota, though the long-term clinical significance is not established.
Where it comes up
- Colostrum and the first days before milk comes inFeeding Your Baby
- Formula feeding: choosing, preparing, and doing it wellFeeding Your Baby
- How breastfeeding works: supply and demandFeeding Your Baby
- Dairy and other sensitivities in a breastfed babyFeeding Your Baby
What mothers here say about oligosaccharide
No one has posted under this term yet.
Sources
- Bode L — Human milk oligosaccharides: prebiotics and beyond. Nutrition Reviews 2009
- Kunz C, Rudloff S — Biological functions of oligosaccharides in human milk. Acta Paediatrica 1993