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Foods
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Advances and Challenges in Baby Foods
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Advances and Challenges in Baby Foods

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2023) | Viewed by 9571

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Cristina A. Fente

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Analytical Chemistry, Nutrition and Bromatology, Santiago de Compostela University, 27002 Lugo, Spain
Interests: breast milk; functional components; baby food; probiotics; omics
Dr. Patricia Regal

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Analytical Chemistry, Nutrition and Bromatology, Santiago de Compostela University, 27002 Lugo, Spain
Interests: breast milk; functional components; baby food; probiotics; microbiota; food-borne pathogens; food safety; analytical chemistry; chromatography; mass spectrometry; omics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Optimal nutrition during the first 1000 days of life determines not only the proper growth and development of the baby, but also a healthy life in the long-term. Breastfeeding as the best source of nutrients during the first six months of life is scientifically indisputable. However, although the nutritional composition of breast milk is quite stable, the concentrations of some nutrients, such as some lipids and micronutrients, or even the allergen content, can be affected by maternal diet or nutritional status. The improvement of the quality of breast milk could be achieved after correction of the maternal diet or by supplementation, a practice that will benefit both maternal and infant health. However, on many occasions, breastfeeding is not possible, or is not desired. In this context, infant formula is used as a substitute for breast milk. Bringing infant formulas closer to the composition of human milk is the basis of their formulation. The ability to detect and identify the set of components that exist in breast milk has improved with the advent of omics technologies. These are components with properties that promote the maturation and development of the infant, and are anti-infective, prebiotic, probiotic and modulators of immune development.

In this Special Issue, we want to include papers related to the advances and challenges in breastfeeding and infant formulas, with a focus on improving their functionality and adequacy to meet the baby’s needs. The same interest applies to other baby foods. We also invite papers in relation to supplementation in pregnancy and lactation. Novel aspects of complementary feeding will also be considered.

Dr. Cristina A. Fente
Dr. Patricia Regal
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Foods is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • human milk
  • infant formula
  • baby food
  • baby-led weaning
  • functional ingredients
  • probiotics
  • bioactive components
  • human milk oligosaccharides
  • allergens in human milk

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 1015 KiB  
Communication
Investigating the Dietary Impact on Trans-Vaccenic Acid (Trans-C18:1 n-7) and Other Beneficial Fatty Acids in Breast Milk and Infant Formulas
by Laura Sanjulian, Alexandre Lamas, Rocío Barreiro, Ismael Martínez, Leopoldo García-Alonso, Alberto Cepeda, Cristina Fente and Patricia Regal
Foods 2024, 13(14), 2164; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13142164 - 9 Jul 2024
Viewed by 1183
Abstract
Maternal diet plays a significant role in the fatty acid composition of breast milk. Dietary products such as milk and meat are the primary sources of natural TFAs for humans. These peculiar fatty acids hold nutritional significance as they not only lack the [...] Read more.
Maternal diet plays a significant role in the fatty acid composition of breast milk. Dietary products such as milk and meat are the primary sources of natural TFAs for humans. These peculiar fatty acids hold nutritional significance as they not only lack the detrimental effects of industrially produced trans fats on the endothelium characteristic, but they also exhibit anti-inflammatory properties. The relationship between the presence of eight fatty acids in breast milk (including natural TFAs trans-vaccenic and conjugated linoleic acid) and the maternal diet has been explored, and their abundance has been compared to that of infant formulas. Two cohorts of lactating women, originating from a Spanish region, participated in this study; they adhered to the Southern European Atlantic diet or the Atlantic diet. While the consumption of conventional meat or dairy products does not seem to increase the abundance of TFAs in breast milk, trans-vaccenic and oleic acid are among the most distinctive features of breast milk fat in mothers consuming naturally improved dairy products with an improved fatty acid profile. The most significant differences between natural breastfeeding and formula feeding lie in natural TFAs, since formulas are notably deficient in natural TFAs while being overfortified in alpha-linolenic acid in comparison to breast milk. We suggest an improvement in the formulation of these products through using cow’s milk with an optimal fatty acid profile that better mimics the fatty acid composition found in human milk. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances and Challenges in Baby Foods)
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14 pages, 450 KiB  
Article
The Influence of the Lactation Period and the Type of Milk on the Content of Amino Acids and Minerals in Human Milk and Infant Formulas
by Aleksandra Purkiewicz, Małgorzata Stasiewicz, Jacek J. Nowakowski and Renata Pietrzak-Fiećko
Foods 2023, 12(19), 3674; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12193674 - 6 Oct 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2956
Abstract
(1) Background: This study investigated the effect of the lactation period and the type of infant formula on the content of amino acids and selected minerals in an infant’s food; (2) Methods: The study material consisted of breast milk (colostrum, n = 38; [...] Read more.
(1) Background: This study investigated the effect of the lactation period and the type of infant formula on the content of amino acids and selected minerals in an infant’s food; (2) Methods: The study material consisted of breast milk (colostrum, n = 38; transitional milk, mature milk, n = 38) and three types of infant formulas (for first and follow-on feeding). Amino acid content was determined using an automatic amino acid analyzer, while minerals were determined by the atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) technique; (3) Results: Breast milk and infant formulas contained a full range of essential amino acids. In most cases, the content of individual amino acids and minerals decreased with increasing lactation. In infant formulas, there were higher contents of phenylalanine, glutamic acid, proline, serine, and tyrosine in follow-on milk (p < 0.05). The EAA/TAA ratio in breast milk and infant formulas was similar, but the milk differed in their qualitative composition. Infant formulas contained levels of individual minerals that were several times higher—especially Mg, Ca, Mn, and Fe.; (4) Conclusions: Colostrum is more concentrated, and the level of amino acids and minerals is higher in it; as the milk matures, it decreases. In most cases, the content of individual amino acids and minerals is higher in infant formulas than in human milk, which is established through strict Codex Alimentarius procedures to ensure the proper development of infants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances and Challenges in Baby Foods)
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Review

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17 pages, 584 KiB  
Review
Human Milk—The Biofluid That Nourishes Infants from the First Day of Life
by Nikoleta Lugonja, Vesna Marinković, Mira Pucarević, Srdjan Miletić, Nataša Stojić, Dragan Crnković and Miroslav Vrvić
Foods 2024, 13(9), 1298; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13091298 - 24 Apr 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2265
Abstract
Human milk is a biofluid with a unique composition among mammalian milks. Besides this milk’s major components, its bioactive compounds, like hormones, immune factors, and oligosaccharides, are unique and important for infant growth and development. The best form of nutrition for term and [...] Read more.
Human milk is a biofluid with a unique composition among mammalian milks. Besides this milk’s major components, its bioactive compounds, like hormones, immune factors, and oligosaccharides, are unique and important for infant growth and development. The best form of nutrition for term and preterm infants is the mother’s own milk. However, in the absence of the mother’s own milk, donor milk should be made available. Milk banks support neonatal intensive care units by providing preterm infants with human milk that generally has reasonable nutritive value for this sensitive population. However, neither mother’s own milk nor donor milk has sufficient energy content for the growth of preterm babies, so adequate human milk supplementation is crucial for their progress. Due to the different characteristics of human breast milk, as well as ubiquitous environmental pollutants, such as microplastics, new methods are required for monitoring the quality and characteristics of human milk, which will lay a solid foundation for the further development and progress of human milk research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances and Challenges in Baby Foods)
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23 pages, 1657 KiB  
Review
Monitoring the Use of Human Milk, the Ideal Food for Very Low-Birth-Weight Infants—A Narrative Review
by Pasqua Anna Quitadamo, Federica Zambianco, Giuseppina Palumbo, Xavier Wagner, Maria Assunta Gentile and Antonio Mondelli
Foods 2024, 13(5), 649; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13050649 - 21 Feb 2024
Viewed by 2213
Abstract
Aware of the utmost importance of feeding premature babies—especially those of lower weight—with human milk, as well as the need to monitor this important element of neonatal care, we focused on four aspects in this review. First of all, we reviewed the beneficial [...] Read more.
Aware of the utmost importance of feeding premature babies—especially those of lower weight—with human milk, as well as the need to monitor this important element of neonatal care, we focused on four aspects in this review. First of all, we reviewed the beneficial effects of feeding premature infants with breast milk in the short and long term. Secondly, we performed a quantitative evaluation of the rates of breastfeeding and feeding with human milk in Very-Low-Birth-Weight infants (VLBWs) during hospitalization in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and at discharge. Our aim was to take a snapshot of the current status of human milk-feeding care and track its trends over time. Then we analyzed, on the one hand, factors that have been proven to facilitate the use of maternal milk and, on the other hand, the risk factors of not feeding with breast milk. We also considered the spread of human milk banking so as to assess the availability of donated milk for the most vulnerable category of premature babies. Finally, we proposed a protocol designed as a tool for the systematic monitoring of actions that could be planned and implemented in NICUs in order to achieve the goal of feeding even more VLBWs with human milk. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances and Challenges in Baby Foods)
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