Investigation of Human Milk as a Biological System in a Multicenter Mother-Infant Cohort: Protocol Design and Cohort Profile of the Phoenix Study

Phoenix Study Group, Jieshu Wu, Junai Gan, Guo Zeng, Xiaoqin Luo, Nianhong Yang, Zheqing Zhang, Yongye Sun, Jian Shen, Wei Wei, Jingyu Yan, Jing Zhu, Thomas Ludwig, Bernd Stahl, Xianfeng Zhao*, Zhixu Wang*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

Breastfeeding and human milk are the gold standard for infant feeding. Studying human milk with a systems biology approach in a large longitudinal cohort is needed to understand its complexity and health implications. The Phoenix study is a multicenter cohort study focusing on the interactions of maternal characteristics, human milk composition, infant feeding practices, and health outcomes of Chinese mothers and infants. A total of 779 mother-infant dyads were recruited from November 2021 to September 2022, and 769 mother-infant dyads were enrolled in the study. Scheduled home visits took place at 1, 4, 6, and 12 months postpartum, and 696 dyads (90.5% participants) completed the 12-month visit. At each visit, maternal and infant anthropometry was assessed. Questionnaires were administered to collect longitudinal information on maternal characteristics and lifestyle, infant feeding, and health. Digital diaries were used to record maternal dietary intake, infant feeding, and stool character. Human milk, maternal feces, infant feces, and infant saliva were collected. An external pharmaceutical-level quality assurance approach was implied to ensure the trial quality. Multi-omics techniques (including glycomics, lipidomics, proteomics, and microbiomics) and machine learning algorithms were integrated into the sample and data analysis. The protocol design of the Phoenix study provides a framework for prospective cohort studies of mother-infant dyads and will provide insights into the complex dynamics of human milk and its interplay with maternal and infant health outcomes in the Chinese population.

Original languageEnglish
Article number2892
Number of pages13
JournalNutrients
Volume16
Issue number17
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 29 Aug 2024

Keywords

  • Adult
  • Breast Feeding
  • China
  • Cohort Studies
  • Feces/chemistry
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Longitudinal Studies
  • Male
  • Milk, Human/chemistry
  • Mothers
  • Prospective Studies
  • Research Design
  • Saliva/chemistry

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