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Why could high-pressure breast milk processing improve the life of preterm babies?

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 78, pages 277–279 (2024)Cite this article

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According to the World Health Organization (WHO), each year, approximately 10% of neonates are born prematurely. This equates to around 15 million infants. Many of these infants may require admission to a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), where they might need to be fed away from their mothers (https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/preterm-birth).

These nutrients and bioactive compounds play an essential role in the health of babies; as an example, we could say that: (1) Immunoglobulins, such as secretory Immunoglobulin A (sIgA) and Immunoglobulin A (IgA), are known for being a primary source of antigen-specific immune protection in the gastrointestinal tract. sIgA is vital in babies’ feeds because it shapes the gut microbiota composition and promotes a mutualistic relationship with the host. Also, it has been described that sIgA has unique mechanisms that promote homeostasis in the intestine [2]. (2) Lactoferrin can decrease the iron available for iron-dependent microorganisms, bind to the bacterial surface, and disrupt its membrane [3], besides becoming a crucial participant with numerous benefits that both, directly and indirectly, shield the newborn against illness brought on by several pathogens [4]. (3) Lysozyme possesses antimicrobial activity [5] in fact, some studies suggest that this enzyme plays a crucial role in the exclusion of non-human-residential bifidobacteria, improving the development of human-residential bifidobacteria, precisely the infant’s type [6]. (4) Some fatty acids have a relevant role in the growth of the central nervous system [3].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Tecnologico de Monterrey, School of Engineering and Sciences, Ave. Eugenio Garza Sada, 2501, Monterrey, N.L., Mexico

    Alejandro Núñez-Delgado & Jorge Welti-Chanes

  2. Tecnologico de Monterrey, Institute for Obesity Research, Ave. Eugenio Garza Sada, 2501, Monterrey, N.L., Mexico

    Alejandro Núñez-Delgado & Cristina Chuck-Hernández

Authors
  1. Alejandro Núñez-Delgado
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  2. Jorge Welti-Chanes
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  3. Cristina Chuck-Hernández
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Contributions

CC-H: investigation, writing—review and editing. AN-D: investigation, writing—original draft, writing—review and editing. JW-C: investigation, writing—review and editing.

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Correspondence to Cristina Chuck-Hernández.

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Núñez-Delgado, A., Welti-Chanes, J. & Chuck-Hernández, C. Why could high-pressure breast milk processing improve the life of preterm babies?. Eur J Clin Nutr 78, 277–279 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41430-023-01392-7

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