{
  "id": 2556243,
  "title": "Interactions between human milk components and infant polygenic risk predict childhood atopy",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/14/interactions-between-human-milk-components-and-infant-polygenic-risk",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-08-14T00:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "bioRxiv",
    "slug": "biorxiv",
    "url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.08.11.744219v1?rss=1"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Background: Human milk (HM) provides significant health advantages, but the ways in which bioactive components found in mother's milk, like microbiota, oligosaccharides, and fatty acids, interact with genetic factors in infants to affect childhood atopy are not fully understood. Objective: This research aimed to explore the relationships between genetic susceptibility in infants and the effects of exposure to various components found in human milk, with the goal of improving prediction of childhood atopy. Methods: Utilizing genetic data from infants and information about the types of human milk components they were exposed to from the CHILD Cohort Study, the researchers conducted an analysis of how genetic profiles in infants interact with various types of human milk components. They also used advanced statistical models to evaluate how well these milk components and genetic profiles could predict childhood atopy. Results: The study found that the risk of childhood atopy was linked to interactions between specific genetic traits in infants and the types of bacteria found in their mothers' milk. For example, certain bacteria such as Abiotrophia were found to have a significant impact on the likelihood of atopic conditions developing. Additionally, certain combinations of milk components appeared to work together in a way that increased the risk of atopy in genetically predisposed infants. A machine learning model that combined information about human milk components with genetic data performed best in predicting childhood atopy, achieving an accuracy rate of 78% which was higher than models based on either individual milk components or genetic factors alone. Conclusion: The findings suggest that the way infants' genetic profiles interact with the components found in human milk plays a crucial role in determining the likelihood of developing childhood atopy. Identifying these interactions could lead to more personalized approaches to preventing childhood atopy early in life, potentially reducing the burden of this health issue. Key messages: 1. Interactions between an infant's genetic risk factors and exposure to specific components in human milk are linked to childhood atopy. 2. Networks of co-occurring components in human milk, such as certain bacteria, oligosaccharides, and fatty acids, may influence the development of childhood atopy, with the specific combinations of these components affecting outcomes based on the infant's genetic makeup. 3. Integrating information about human milk components with genetic data improves the prediction of childhood atopy compared to using either type of information alone.",
  "summary": "BackgroundAlthough human milk (HM) confers important health benefits, how bioactive milk components (e.g., microbiota, oligosaccharides, and fatty acids) interact with infant genetics to influence childhood atopy remains poorly understood. ObjectiveWe investigated interactions between infant genomic susceptibility and exposure to maternal human milk components (HMCs) and assessed whether…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}