Findings from the CHILD Study indicate that complex sugars in breastmilk, known as human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), may reduce the risk of babies later developing food allergies.
“Our research has identified a ‘beneficial’ HMO profile that was associated with a lower rate of food sensitization in children at one year of age,” says lead researcher Dr. Meghan Azad, Canada Research Chair in Developmental Origins of Chronic Disease at the University of Manitoba.
The researchers analyzed data from 421 infants and mothers participating in the CHILD Study. The findings were published in the June issue of Allergy.
“To our knowledge, this is the largest study to examine the association of HMOs and allergy development in infants” adds Dr. Azad.
Co-authors on the Study include Dr. Kozeta Miliku (University of Manitiba) and Dr. Lars Bode (University of California San Diego School of Medicine).
