How a breast milk sugar supports infant gut development and prevents jaundice
A new study by researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine sheds light on the role of breast milk in supporting intestinal development and preventing hyperbilirubinemia, a condition in which bilirubin, a waste product from broken-down red blood cells, builds up in the blood and causes yellowing of the skin and eyes known as jaundice.
A recent study from the University of California San Diego reveals the crucial role of a sugar in breast milk for infant gut health and jaundice prevention. The sugar, 3-sialyllactose (3 SL), promotes intestinal cell maturation and helps the body process bilirubin, a waste product that can cause yellowing of the skin and eyes when it accumulates.
In animal experiments, mice without 3 SL exhibited weaker intestinal cells, reduced bilirubin clearance, and more severe jaundice. When this sugar was absent in breast milk, neonatal mice showed lower intestinal enzyme levels and poorer growth, higher mortality rates, and more intense jaundice. While most cases of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia, or infant jaundice, are mild and resolve on their own, high or prolonged bilirubin levels can cross the blood-brain barrier and cause neurological problems later in life.
Breastfed infants may develop prolonged unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia, or "breast milk jaundice," likely due to slower milk uptake early on and milk composition factors. This research, published in Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology, suggests early exposure to 3 SL in breast milk could have long-lasting effects on gut health and offers potential strategies to support infant intestinal maturation and prevent jaundice.
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