Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40383870›Full record

ArticlePediatric research2026

Plasma amino acids after human milk fortification and associations with growth in preterm infants.

Martin Bo Rasmussen, Kristine Holgersen, Tik Muk, Azra Leto, Allan Stensballe, Gerrit van Hall, Lise Aunsholt, Susanne Soendergaard Kappel, Gitte Zachariassen, Per Torp Sangild

Abstract read
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Article in Pediatric research, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

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

What it found

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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

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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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Amino acids and lean mass accretion in preterm neonates.Current opinion in clinical nutrition and metabolic care · 2026
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4 · The record

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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

10 authors.

Martin Bo Rasmussen *Comparative Pediatrics, Section for Biomedicine, Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark.
Kristine Holgersen *Comparative Pediatrics, Section for Biomedicine, Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark.
Tik MukComparative Pediatrics, Section for Biomedicine, Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark.
Azra LetoDepartment of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark.
Allan StensballeDepartment of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark.
Gerrit van HallClinical Integrative Fluxomics core, Clinical Biochemistry, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Lise AunsholtComparative Pediatrics, Section for Biomedicine, Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark.
Susanne Soendergaard KappelComparative Pediatrics, Section for Biomedicine, Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark.
Gitte ZachariassenHans Christian Andersen Children's Hospital, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark.
Per Torp SangildComparative Pediatrics, Section for Biomedicine, Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark. pts@sund.ku.dk.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIt is unknown how plasma amino acid (AA) concentrations vary with fortification type, growth and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) concentrations in the first weeks of life in very preterm infants (VPIs).

methodsHuman milk for VPIs (n = 225) was fortified with bovine colostrum (BC, intact proteins, high bioactivity) or conventional fortifier (CF, hydrolysed bovine whey proteins). Plasma was sampled at fortification start (T0, ~1 week of age) and after one (T1) and two (T2) weeks. Changes in Z-scores for weight, length and head circumference (HC) were calculated from T0 to 35 weeks postmenstrual age.

resultsCompared with CF, BC fortification increased 12 AAs (~10-40%, p < 0.05) and reduced Lys concentrations (10-16%, p < 0.05). Analysed across groups, T0-T2 AA increments associated positively with HC growth (12 AAs) and IGF-1 concentrations (5 AAs), and inversely with gestational age (13 AAs) and weight (8 AAs) at birth. The plasma protein profile (proteome) was unaffected by fortification.

conclusionsBC fortification increased the plasma concentrations of many AAs. Fortification-induced AA increments associated positively with HC growth and IGF-1 concentrations, and were affected by immaturity and birth weight. Still, plasma AA variability within physiological levels appears to have limited implications for clinical outcomes during the early life of VPIs. IMPACT: It is unknown how human milk fortification affects plasma amino acid concentrations, in turn influencing growth patterns in very preterm infants. We show that a fortifier based on bovine colostrum induces higher amino acid concentrations than a conventional fortifier. Fortification-induced increments in amino acid concentrations associated with gestational age, birth weight and head growth, but with small effect sizes and limited relation to body weight or length growth. Plasma amino acid concentrations are influenced by fortification of human milk in early life, but have limited practical application as predictors of body growth and health in individual very preterm infants.

Indexed as

Amino AcidsFood, FortifiedInfant, PrematureMilk, HumanAnimalsCattleColostrumFemaleGestational AgeHumansInfant, NewbornInsulin-Like Growth Factor IMaleAmino AcidsInsulin-Like Growth Factor I

Identifiers

PMID40383870
PMCPMC13485694

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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.