The link between food and health is complex, particularly for the developing neonate, as the period after birth is the time when long term programming is occurring in the neurologic, immune and metabolic regulatory systems. Breastfeeding is known to have short- and long-term benefits, and yet the intricate relationship of this unique food with the neonate is not fully understood. We have previously reported profound differences between breast-fed and formula-fed infants with respect to growth trajectory, immunological development, succession of the gut microbiome and metabolism that indicate development of unique metabolic phenotypes as a consequence of diet. Changing one component can have measurable impacts on the blood, urine and fecal metabolomes as well as fecal microbial ecology. To investigate how the composition of infant formula affects succession of the gut microbiome and overall host metabolism, fecal microbial ecology, measured through 16s rRNA sequencing, and comprehensive metabolic profiling of serum and feces measured through <sup>1</sup>H NMR metabolomics, were analyzed in the context of different formula diets, and compared with breastfed controls. Our results highlight the need for a greater understanding of human milk and how it shapes immunity and metabolism in the developing neonate.

Impact of milk on the metabolic phenotype of the developing neonate

255th National Meeting (2018)

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