Considerable advances have been made in science in order to understand the varied mixture of bioactive components in human milk. The 94th Nestlé Nutrition Institute Workshop was designed to provide a comprehensive overview of the latest findings in human milk research and its potential to modulate mucosal immunity, the microbiome, and its impact on the neonate. The publication provides a balanced state-of-the-art update on the current knowledge about milk, mucosal immunity, and the microbiome as well as their impact on breastfeeding in mammalian neonates. The first part reviews data on the immunology of milk and lactation from a historical perspective to the latest scientific findings. The second part discusses the microbiology of human milk and lactation in detail, with a focus on premature infants and necrotizing enterocolitis. And finally, in the third part, light is shed on the protective factors in human milk and their role in influencing the neonate’s immune system. Important new insights will provide great scientific support for all people seeking a deeper understanding of human milk and its immunological properties and will enlarge the knowledge of those who have already specialized in human milk research.

Protecting Infants through Human Milk: Advancing the Scientific Evidence provides a forum in which basic scientists, clinicians, epidemiologists, and policy makers exchange the latest findings regarding the effects of human milk and breastfeeding on infant and maternal health, thereby fostering new and promising collaborations. This volume also integrates data from animal and in vitro laboratory studies with clinical and population studies to examine human milk production and composition, the mechanisms of infant protection and/or risk from human milk feeding, and proposed interventions related to infant feeding practices. Additionally, it stimulates critical evaluation of, and advances in, the scientific evidence base and research methods, and identifies the research priorities in various areas.

Improved conditions of care for premature infants have led to markedly increased survival rates over the last few decades, particularly in very low and extremely low birth weight infants. Nutritional measures play a central role in the long-term outcome, health and quality of life of these premature infants. In this publication, leading experts from all 5 continents present the most recent evidence and critical analyses of nutrient requirements and the practice of nutritional care (with the focus on very low birth weight infants) to provide guidance for clinical application. After the introductory chapters, covering nutritional needs and research evidence in a more general manner, topics such as amino acids and proteins, lipids, microminerals and vitamins, parenteral and enteral nutrition as well as approaches to various disease conditions are addressed. Due to its focus on critical appraisals and recommendations, this book is of interest not only for the researcher who wants to keep up to date, but also for the clinician faced with premature infants in his practice.

Feeding during the first two years of life is very important for the nutrition and growth of an infant. It has a great effect on early morbidity and mortality and long-term effects on health. Breastfeeding has many benefits for both the infant and mother, whereas formula feeding, although associated with disadvantages and problems, can be life-saving for infants who need it. This book examines many aspects of infant feeding and nutrition with chapters covering such topics as the impact of the first 1000 days of nutrition on child health and development, breastfeeding, factors behind the decision to breastfeed or formula feed, and the relationship between breastfeeding and gut microbiota, among others.

The Food Forum convened a public workshop on February 22-23, 2012, to explore current and emerging knowledge of the human microbiome, its role in human health, its interaction with the diet, and the translation of new research findings into tools and products that improve the nutritional quality of the food supply. The Human Microbiome, Diet, and Health: Workshop Summary summarizes the presentations and discussions that took place during the workshop. Over the two day workshop, several themes covered included: The microbiome is integral to human physiology, health, and disease. The microbiome is arguably the most intimate connection that humans have with their external environment, mostly through diet. Given the emerging nature of research on the microbiome, some important methodology issues might still have to be resolved with respect to undersampling and a lack of causal and mechanistic studies. Dietary interventions intended to have an impact on host biology via their impact on the microbiome are being developed, and the market for these products is seeing tremendous success. However, the current regulatory framework poses challenges to industry interest and investment.

The International Workshop on human lactation dedicated specifically to the topic of Maternal and Environmental Effects on Lactation repre sents the recent progress of research in human lactation. Only four years ago it was clear that we do not yet have sensitive research techniques specifically adapted to the study of human milk. This need was addressed by an NIH convened workshop in 1982, the concensus being that appropriate methods have to be developed for the study of the composition of human milk. The progress in the development of these techniques was the subject of the second workshop on human lactation, dedicated specifically to "Milk Components and Methodologies. " The workshop was held in Colorado in 1984 and resulted in the publication of the first volume in the series of "Human Lactation. " At the Colorado meeting it was readily apparent that considerable progress has been made in the development of sensitive techniques able to quantitate the bioactive components of human milk (enzymes, growth factors, immuno-protective agents) as well as the macro, micro and trace elements. At the Colorado workshop it became clear that these workshops greatly benefit the research of human lactation by enhancing communication and collaboration among the investigators in the field. As a result it was decided to have a future workshop about a year later on the topic of "Maternal-Environmental Effects on Human Lacta tion", and I was charged with chairing it.

This Nutrients Special Issue focuses on neonatal nutritional advances for inflammatory disorders affecting infants such as necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). Nutrition can significantly impact the development of certain diseases that afflict infants. This Special Issue aims to bring together the latest research on the role of nutrition in preventing or impacting neonatal disorders. Specifically, this Special Issue focuses on the role of breast milk or donor breast milk and the various components in milk that have been demonstrated to protect against NEC and other inflammatory diseases. This issue provides a comprehensive composite of the advances in nutritional strategies that can modulate or prevent neonatal intestinal disorders.