Wang Xinyue, Feng Yan, Li Yilan, Tian Yuluyuan, Zhang Simin, Li Jinglin, Zhang Jiahui, Liu Feng, Zhou Jiahe, Li Ting, Duan Sufang, Szeto Ignatius Man-Yau, Su Li, Luo Xiaoqin
Department of Nutrition and Food Safety, School of Public Health, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China.
School of Public Health, Institute of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.
Front Nutr. 2025 Jul 30;12:1566376. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2025.1566376. eCollection 2025.
Breastfeeding can reduce the risk of serious illness in preterm infants. However, the influence of human milk on the gut microecology and early development of preterm infants remains unclear.
The YI Study is a prospective cohort protocol conducted in China, designed to investigate the dynamic associations among breast milk composition, infant gut microecology, and health from a mother-breastmilk-preterm infant triad perspective. From January 2023 to May 2024, a total of 50 mother-term infant dyads and 35 mother-preterm infant dyads were enrolled and followed up at six timepoints: v1 (0-7 days), v2 (8-14 days), v3 (1 month), v4 (2 months), v5 (4 months), and v6 (6 months). Data collection included questionnaires, anthropometric measurements, and biospecimens. Questionnaires (including birth medical records, environment, feeding practices and illnesses status) and anthropometric measurements were collected at all visits. Biospecimens included paired samples of breast milk and feces were obtained at each visit, and comprehensively analyzed by multi-omics techniques. We also collected heel blood at birth to examine immune status and saliva at the v6 visit to explore the role of its constituents in dietary behaviors.
The average age of the mothers was 30.9 ± 3.5 years. The median gestational age was 36 (35, 36) weeks in the Preterm Group and 39 (38, 40) weeks in the Term group. The completion rate up to V6 was 82.9% in the Preterm Group and 94% in the Term Group. All samples were collected within the predefined visit windows, with a total of 452 breast milk, 465 infant feces, 227 maternal feces, 49 heel blood and 98 saliva.
Through ultra-early, multi-temporal, multi-sample collection, combined with multi-omics technologies, the YI study will provide an opportunity to explore the dynamic association of human milk as a complex biological system with gut microecology and health in preterm infants in depth.
母乳喂养可降低早产儿患重病的风险。然而，母乳对早产儿肠道微生态及早期发育的影响尚不清楚。
“益研究”是在中国开展的一项前瞻性队列研究方案，旨在从母亲-母乳-早产儿三元组的角度，研究母乳成分、婴儿肠道微生态与健康之间的动态关联。2023年1月至2024年5月，共招募了50对母亲-足月儿二元组和35对母亲-早产儿二元组，并在六个时间点进行随访：v1（0-7天）、v2（8-14天）、v3（1个月）、v4（2个月）、v5（4个月）和v6（6个月）。数据收集包括问卷调查、人体测量和生物样本采集。在所有访视中均收集问卷调查（包括出生医学记录、环境、喂养方式和疾病状况）和人体测量数据。生物样本包括每次访视时采集的母乳和粪便配对样本，并通过多组学技术进行综合分析。我们还在出生时采集足跟血以检查免疫状态，并在v6访视时采集唾液以探索其成分在饮食行为中的作用。
母亲的平均年龄为30.9±3.5岁。早产组的中位胎龄为36（35，36）周，足月儿组为39（38，40）周。早产组至V6的完成率为82.9%，足月儿组为94%。所有样本均在预定义的访视窗口内采集，共采集了452份母乳、465份婴儿粪便、227份母亲粪便、49份足跟血和98份唾液。
通过超早期、多时间点、多样本采集，结合多组学技术，“益研究”将为深入探索作为复杂生物系统的母乳与早产儿肠道微生态及健康之间的动态关联提供契机。
