Breastmilk sugars known as HMOs may help prevent food allergies

Breastmilk sugars known as HMOs may help prevent food allergies
Happy Mother and her Newborn Baby Kissing and hugging

Findings from AllerGen’s 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 AllerGen trainee Dr. Kozeta Miliku (University of Manitoba) and Dr. Lars Bode (University of California San Diego School of Medicine).

Press release