Human Milk Oligosaccharides and brain development: New Perspectives

Adequate nutrition is necessary for normal brain development. Nutrition is especially important during pregnancy and infancy, which are crucial periods for the formation of the brain, and lays the foundation for the development of cognitive, motor, and socio-emotional skills throughout childhood and adulthood.

Nutrition is crucial for brain development especially in the first 1000days of birth up till the first 5 years. Effective development of the brain requires optimal nutrition from conception. At birth new-born brain has 100 billion neurons.

Human milk is the gold standard nutrition for infants, supporting the development of a healthy immune system and brain development. 

Human milk oligosaccharides are the 3rd largest component of breast milk and are significant for the development of the gut-brain-immune axis.
HMOs –have prebiotic, anti-inflammatory, anti –adhesive, immune-modulation and serve as nutrients for the brain for brain development, neuronal transmission, and synaptogenesis.

2FL HMO is the most abundant HMO in human milk seen in 80% of mothers. New concepts have shown that in addition to promoting growth of bifidobacteria, it improves brain development, language, and infant cognitive development.