Infant Nurtition And Epigenetics Relation During the First Year of Life
Synopsis
The nutritional environment after birth may interact with epigenetic regulation and influence later health. This review focuses on breastfeeding and complementary feeding during infancy and discusses their relationship with DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNAs. Bioactive factors in human milk, particularly microRNAs and long non-coding RNAs, may contribute to metabolic, immune, and neurodevelopmental regulation. Infant feeding also shapes microbial development in the gut and the formation of metabolites, such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Butyrate may influence histone regulation and immune responses. During complementary feeding, dietary exposures may further interact with epigenetic pathways. Experimental findings involving POMC methylation also support a potential link between postnatal nutrition and metabolic programming. However, current human evidence is strongest for associations between breastfeeding and DNA methylation. Further longitudinal human studies are needed to clarify how early postnatal nutrition influences epigenetic regulation and whether these effects persist later in life.
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