Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34209241›Full record

ReviewNutrients2021

Changes in HMO Concentrations throughout Lactation: Influencing Factors, Health Effects and Opportunities.

Caroline Thum, Clare Rosemary Wall, Gisela Adrienne Weiss, Wendan Wang, Ignatius Man-Yau Szeto, Li Day

Open access · goldAbstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Nutrients, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 51 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
51citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
8.8field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

51 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 93 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Effects of maternal allergy and supplementation with ω-3 fatty acid and probiotic on human milk oligosaccharides.Pediatric allergy and immunology : official publication of the European Society of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology · 2025
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  15. Macronutrient concentrations in human milk beyond the first half year of lactation: a cohort study.Archives of disease in childhood. Fetal and neonatal edition · 2025
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  17. Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Caroline ThumAgResearch Ltd., Te Ohu Rangahau Kai, Palmerston North 4474, New Zealand.ORCID 0000-0002-9823-1012
Clare Rosemary WallFaculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland 1142, New Zealand.ORCID 0000-0003-1062-3909
Gisela Adrienne WeissYili Innovation Center Europe, 6708 Wageningen, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0002-5983-5569
Wendan WangYili Maternal and Infant Nutrition Institute, Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group, Co., Ltd., Fengtai District, Beijing 100071, China.
Ignatius Man-Yau SzetoYili Maternal and Infant Nutrition Institute, Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group, Co., Ltd., Fengtai District, Beijing 100071, China.
Li DayAgResearch Ltd., Te Ohu Rangahau Kai, Palmerston North 4474, New Zealand.
Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group (China) · CNAgResearch · NZUniversity of Auckland · NZ

Funding

Beijing Yili Technology Development Co N/A
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) are important functional biomolecules in human breast milk. Understanding the factors influencing differences in HMO composition and changes in their concentration over lactation can help to design feeding strategies that are well-adapted to infant's needs. This review summarises the total and individual concentration of HMOs from data published from 1999 to 2019. Studies show that the HMO concentrations are highest in colostrum (average 9-22 g/L), followed by slightly lower concentrations in transitional milk (average 8-19 g/L), with a gradual decline in mature milk as lactation progresses, from 6-15 g/L in breast milk collected within one month of birth, to 4-6 g/L after 6 months. Significant differences in HMO composition have been described between countries. Different HMOs were shown to be predominant over the course of lactation, e.g., 3-fucosyllactose increased over lactation, whereas 2'-fucosyllactose decreased. Recent clinical studies on infant formula supplemented with 2'-fucosyllactose in combination with other oligosaccharides showed its limited beneficial effect on infant health.

Indexed as

HealthFemaleGastrointestinal MicrobiomeHumansLactationMilk, HumanOligosaccharidesOligosaccharides2′-fucosyllactosebreast milkgut microbiotalacto-N-neotetraosematernal originsecretor and Lewis blood type

Identifiers

PMID34209241
PMCPMC8308359
OpenAlexW3173894909

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.