Breastfeeding Microbiome and Epigenetics - Plenary 4

Speaker(s): Larry Noble, MD, IBCLC

Breastfeeding provides multiple lifelong biological advantages to children through mechanisms that still need to be elucidated. Scientific interest in the microbiome and epigenetics has increased dramatically in recent years. This talk discusses the role of infant feedings in shaping the bacterial flora and their effects on infections and inflammatory diseases. The presentation will also explore the important role of human milk microRNAs (miRNAs), which inhibit translation of RNA into protein in the infant and help determine the infant's phenotype. If this human milk miRNA-epigenetic regulatory circuit is disrupted by formula, normal physiological functions could be disrupted, contributing to various disease processes. As epigenetic changes can last for the life of the infant, human milk miRNAs are responsible for determining the infant’s phenotype during breastfeeding and throughout the life of the infant.