Pediatria pre prax 6/2021

Implications of human milk lipids and formula feeding in infants and children

Lipids in human milk represent a major source of energy, but they also provide essential nutrients such as fat soluble vitamins, fatty acids and bioactive components. Milk lipids are primarily found as triacylglycerols (TG) inside fat globules accounting for over 98% of the fat content, and its composition in fatty acids defines its nutritional and physiological properties. The clinical trials exploring the effects of components from bovine milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) concentrates and complex lipid preparations supplemented to infants have shown promising indications for safety and positive effects on infant neurodevelopment and cognitive functions, reduction of infection risk and positive health benefits. The supply of omega-3 docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and omega-6 arachidonic acid (ARA) is related to appropriate infant brain and tissue development, neurocognitive development and to reducing asthma bronchiale at school age, whereas the current recommendation now includes addition of preformed DHA, but not ARA. The provision of preparations of complex milk lipids rich in palmitic acid with infant formula provides adequate alternatives that are needed for infant development without adding palm oil. These specific aspects of MFGM achieving good health of children and how they may relate to infant development, physiological function, infant formula feeding and advances in diary technology will be addressed in more detail below.

Keywords: human milk, infant milk formula, milk fat globule membrane, lipid composition, lipid structure