Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39138352›Full record

Observational studyPediatric research2025

The impact of breastfeeding on the preterm infant's microbiome and metabolome: a pilot study.

Keriann Schulkers Escalante, Shiyu S Bai-Tong, Sarah M Allard, Gertrude Ecklu-Mensah, Concepcion Sanchez, Se Jin Song, Jack Gilbert, Lars Bode, Pieter Dorrestein, Rob Knight and 3 more

Abstract readObservational Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Observational study in Pediatric research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Review
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  4. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Keriann Schulkers EscalanteDepartment of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, Rady Children's Hospital, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Shiyu S Bai-TongDepartment of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, Rady Children's Hospital, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Sarah M AllardDepartment of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Gertrude Ecklu-MensahDepartment of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Concepcion SanchezDepartment of Pharmacology and the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Se Jin SongCenter for Microbiome Innovation, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Jack GilbertCenter for Microbiome Innovation, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Lars BodeDepartment of Pediatrics, Larsson-Rosenquist Foundation Mother-Milk-Infant Center of Research Excellence (MOMI CORE), and the Human Milk Institute (HMI), University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Pieter DorresteinCenter for Microbiome Innovation, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Rob KnightCenter for Microbiome Innovation, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
David J GonzalezDepartment of Pharmacology and the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Sydney A LeibelDepartment of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, Rady Children's Hospital, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Sandra L LeibelDepartment of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, Rady Children's Hospital, La Jolla, CA, USA. saleibel@health.ucsd.edu.

Funding

Microbiome Driven Proteolysis as a Contributing Factor to Severity of Ulcerative Colitis Disease ActivityR01DK131005 · NIDDK · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · PI GONZALEZ, DAVID J · 2022 to 2024
$1.6M
Illumina NovaSeq 6000 Sequencing SystemS10OD026929 · OD · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · PI JEPSEN, KRISTEN LYNN · 2019 to 2019
$600k
NIDDK NIH HHS R01 DK131005NIH HHS S10 OD026929
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundHuman milk is unquestionably beneficial for preterm infants. We investigated how the transition from tube to oral/breastfeeding impacts the preterm infants' oral and gut microbiome and metabolome.

methodsWe analyzed stool, saliva, and milk samples collected from a cohort of preterm infants enrolled in the MAP Study, a prospective observational trial. The microbiome and metabolome of the samples were analyzed from 4 longitudinal sample time points, 2 during tube feeds only and 2 after the initiation of oral/breastfeeding.

resultsWe enrolled 11 mother-infant dyads (gestational age = 27.9 (23.4-32.2)) and analyzed a total of 39 stool, 44 saliva, and 43 milk samples over 4 timepoints. In saliva samples, there was a shift towards increased Streptococcus and decreased Staphylococcus after oral feeding/breastfeeding initiation (p < 0.05). Milk sample metabolites were strongly influenced by the route of feeding and milk type (p < 0.05) and represented the pathways of Vitamin E metabolism, Vitamin B12 metabolism, and Tryptophan metabolism.

conclusionOur analysis demonstrated that the milk and preterm infant's saliva microbiome and metabolome changed over the course of the first four to 5 months of life, coinciding with the initiation of oral/breastfeeds. IMPACT: The microbiome and metabolome is altered in the infant's saliva but not their stool, and in mother's milk when feeds are transitioned from tube to oral/breastfeeding. We assessed the relationship between the gut and oral microbiome/metabolome with the milk microbiome/metabolome over a longitudinal period of time in preterm babies. Metabolites that changed in the infants saliva after the initiation of oral feeds have the potential to be used as biomarkers for disease risk.

Indexed as

Breast FeedingGastrointestinal MicrobiomeInfant, PrematureMetabolomeMicrobiotaMilk, HumanFecesFemaleGestational AgeHumansInfantInfant, NewbornLongitudinal StudiesMalePilot ProjectsProspective Studies

Identifiers

PMID39138352
PMCPMC12055563

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.