Sugars in Breastmilk May Help Prevent Infections in Newborn

Can breast milk treat infections in newborns? Short strings of sugar molecules abundant in breast milk can treat Group B Streptococcus (GBS) infection.

Human breast milk sugars reduce bacterial invasion and disease progression of common perinatal infection Group B Streptococcus (GBS) in human and pregnant mice, reports researchers published in ACS Central Science.

Breastfeeding has long been used as a method to help keep newborns healthy and protected against a variety of diseases (). But certain natural sugars found in breastmilk could also help prevent infections before a baby arrives. This could someday help avoid preterm births or complications without the need for additional antibiotics.

Breast Milk Sugar May Protect Babies Against Deadly Infection

One of the most common bacteria that can affect pregnancies is Group B streptococcus (GBS). If left untreated, GBS infections can potentially lead to adverse effects, including neonatal pneumonia or preterm birth.

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‘Breastmilk sugars such as oligosaccharides (HMOs) possessing antimicrobial properties might replace the role of antibiotics in perinatal health.#Breastmilk #BacterialInfections #PregnancyComplications’

Though treatments are available, they primarily rely on antibiotics, which can give rise to resistant strains. However, many of the compounds already present in human breast milk, such as human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), naturally have antibacterial effects ().

Previously, researchers explored the antimicrobial effects of HMOs, finding that they could inhibit the growth of GBS in vitro and certain reproductive cells. But before the compounds could be used to boost existing antibiotics or become a new therapeutic option entirely.

Researchers need to show how the sugars work in many tissues and in vivo. So now, the team wanted to investigate HMO activity in GBS infections in pregnant mice and human tissues.

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The team first analyzed the protective effects of HMOs on human tissue infected with GBS, using both ex vivo fetal tissues and an organoid model of the vagina. When they added a mixture of HMOs designed to mimic the sugar composition in breast milk, the bacteria could not adhere and form colonies ().

The HMO mixture was then tested in pregnant mice infected with GBS. The treated mice had a relatively typical level of inflammation, reduced numbers of bacteria in several reproductive tissues, and experienced no instances of preterm births, ruptured membranes, or maternal deaths.

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Taken together, these results demonstrate that HMOs can have antimicrobial effects without additional antibiotics. The researchers say that this work could allow for these sugars to be used as a viable therapeutic option to treat GBS infection and prevent adverse pregnancy outcomes.

References:

67 - 76: The Benefits of Breast Feeding - (https://karger.com/books/book/166/chapter-abstract/5101833/The-Benefits-of-Breast-Feeding?redirectedFrom=fulltext)
Human Milk Composition: Nutrients and Bioactive Factors - (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0031395512001678?via%3Dihub)
The Utility of Human Milk Oligosaccharides against Group B Streptococcus Infections of Reproductive Tissues and Cognate Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes - (https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acscentsci.3c00101)

Source-Eurekalert