Fact-based nutrition for infants and lactating mothers-The NUTRISHIELD study.

Background: Human milk (HM) is the ideal source of nutrients for infants. Its composition is highly variable according to the infant's needs. When not enough own mother's milk (OMM) is available, the administration of pasteurized donor human milk (DHM) is considered a suitable alternative for preterm infants. This study protocol describes the NUTRISHIELD clinical study. The main objective of this study is to compare the % weight gain/month in preterm and term infants exclusively receiving either OMM or DHM. Other secondary aims comprise the evaluation of the influence of diet, lifestyle habits, psychological stress, and pasteurization on the milk composition, and how it modulates infant's growth, health, and development. Methods and design: NUTRISHIELD is a prospective mother-infant birth cohort in the Spanish-Mediterranean area including three groups: preterm infants <32 weeks of gestation (i) exclusively receiving (i.e., >80% of total intake) OMM, and (ii) exclusively receiving DHM, and (iii) term infants exclusively receiving OMM, as well as their mothers. Biological samples and nutritional, clinical, and anthropometric characteristics are collected at six time points covering the period from birth and until six months of infant's age. The genotype, metabolome, and microbiota as well as the HM composition are characterized. Portable sensor prototypes for the analysis of HM and urine are benchmarked. Additionally, maternal psychosocial status is measured at the beginning of the study and at month six. Mother-infant postpartum bonding and parental stress are also examined. At six months, infant neurodevelopment scales are applied. Mother's concerns and attitudes to breastfeeding are registered through a specific questionnaire. Discussion: NUTRISHIELD provides an in-depth longitudinal study of the mother-infant-microbiota triad combining multiple biological matrices, newly developed analytical methods, and ad-hoc designed sensor prototypes with a wide range of clinical outcome measures. Data obtained from this study will be used to train a machine-learning algorithm for providing dietary advice to lactating mothers and will be implemented in a user-friendly platform based on a combination of user-provided information and biomarker analysis. A better understanding of the factors affecting milk's composition, together with the health implications for infants plays an important role in developing improved strategies of nutraceutical management in infant care. Clinical trial registration: https://register.clinicaltrials.gov, identifier: NCT05646940.

Fecal Calprotectin and Eosinophil-derived Neurotoxin in Healthy Children Between 0 and 12 Years.

OBJECTIVES: In young children, the use of fecal calprotectin (fCP) as a biomarker is limited because reference values have not been widely accepted up to now. Moreover, reference values for fecal eosinophil-derived neurotoxin (fEDN) in children have not been established. The aim of the present study was to investigate fCP and fEDN levels in young healthy children to establish reference values. METHODS: Stool samples were obtained from healthy children ages 0 to 12 years. fCP and fEDN levels were analyzed using the EliA Calprotectin 2 assay (Phadia AB) and a novel research assay (on the ImmunoCAP platform), respectively. RESULTS: In the 174 included children (87 boys), 95th Percentile values ranged from 1519 mg/kg at 0 months to 54.4 mg/kg at 144 months for fCP and from 9.9 mg/kg at 0 months to 0.2 mg/kg at 144 months for fEDN. There was a statistically significant association between age and fCP concentrations (P < 0.001) and age and fEDN concentrations (P < 0.001). We also found a statistically significant association between fEDN and fCP concentrations (rho = 0.52, P < 0.001). According to our results, we provide a nomogram and we suggest 3 different age groups for evaluation of fCP and fEDN concentrations, the 95th percentile being respectively 910.3 and 7.4 mg/kg for 0-12 months, 285.9 and 2.9 mg/kg for >1 to 4 years, and 54.4 and 0.2 mg/kg for >4 to 12 years. DISCUSSION: By using an improved analytical method, we have confirmed that young healthy children have higher fCP concentrations than healthy adults. We, for the first time, report reference values for fEDN concentrations in a pediatric population. The proposed nomograms and reference values for fCP and fEDN are aimed at facilitating the applicability of biomarkers for both neutrophil- and eosinophil-mediated intestinal inflammation in children in clinical practice.