Nutrition in early life and why it matters
Background
The next generation is expected to have a shorter life expectancy than their parents partly due to the increasing obesity epidemic and related non-communicable diseases. Nutrition during fetal and early neonatal life stages is thought to be an important factor affecting chronic disease risk throughout all stages of life. This task force focuses on how nutrition of both mothers and infants may affect the long-term health of the child.
Upcoming
The task force is working on a new activity proposal to continue their work on early growth aiming to assess how body composition at birth contributes towards the risk of non-communicable disease in adulthood.
What’s New
The expert group on ‘Early Growth Velocity and Risk of Metabolic Disorders Later in Life’ recently completed a final publication on neuro-cognitive and metabolic health outcomes of catch-up growth in small-for-gestational-age infants (E. Castanys-Muñoz et al., 2017).
Objectives
This task force aims to:
- Provide scientific evidence to support guidelines for maternal and infant nutrition to ensure life-time optimal health; and
- Identify risk factors for obesity and other health consequences at the earliest stages of life. Realistic and relevant dietary guidelines for expecting and new mothers will maximise good health for their infants throughout all life stages.
Impact
- The task force assessed the neurocognitive and metabolic outcomes for pre-term and small-for-gestational-age infants that experience a phase of catch-up growth after birth in two separate papers (K.K. Ong et al., 2015; E. Castanys-Muñoz et al., 2017) and highlighted that there are gaps in our knowledge on how to modulate nutrition during this time for the long-term health benefit of infants. The first publication has been cited 15 times to date and the outcome of the manuscripts were featured amongst others at the Federation of European Nutrition Societies (FENS) 2015, Berlin, Germany, in October 2015.
- The task force is disseminating the outcomes of their work at 4 major conferences in 2017 such as Nutrition and Growth (2-4 March 2017, Amsterdam, The Netherlands), Diabetes in Pregnancy (8-12 March 2017, Barcelona, Spain), IUNS 21st Congress of Nutrition (15-20 October 2017, Buenos Aires, Argentina), and 10th World Congress on Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (15-18 October 2017, Amsterdam, The Netherlands).
For more detailed information, please contact Dr Matthieu Flourakis at mflourakis@ilsieurope.be.
Task Force Members
Prof. Stewart Forsyth – Chair | DSM | UK |
Dr Carolien van Loo-Bouwman – Vice-Chair | Yili Innovation Center Europe | NL |
Prof. Susan Ozanne – Co-Chair | University of Cambridge | UK |
Dr Luisa Gambelli | Bunge Loders Croklaan | NL |
Dr Patricia Iozzo* | Italian National Research Council | IT |
Dr Gustavo Moya Orsatti | P&G Health | DE |
Dr Linette Pellis | Ausnutria | NL |
Mr Manuel Ramos | Nestlé Research Center | CH |
Dr Ricardo Rueda | Abbott Nutrition | ES |
Prof. Eline van der Beek | Danone Nutricia Research | NL |
Dr Janna van Diepen | Reckitt Benckiser/Mead Johnson Nutrition | NL |
Dr Matthieu Flourakis | ILSI Europe | BE |
* Scientific Advisor
Expert Groups
Review and Gap Analysis of Factors Affecting Body Composition in Fetal Life, Infancy and Childhood and Association to Long-Term Health’ – New
Background & Objectives
The clinical significance of differences in body composition (fat, bone and muscle) during fetal life, infancy and childhood on long-term health is currently not known.
This activity aims to:
- review current evidence on the impact of life factors on body composition during infancy and childhood;
- test for association between body composition at infancy and childhood and long term health outcomes;
- per form a gap analysis outlining areas where where evidence needs to be generated.
Output
These data will be compiled in peer-reviewed publication with the purpose of informing scientists, policy makers and other stakeholders on knowledge gaps and research directions.
Further, the outcomes will provide insight on critical periods of life where body composition measurement should be included to identify at-risk populations.
Joint Nutrition Cluster Activity on ‘Mechanistic Insights into the Gut-Brain Axis’ – In collaboration with Health Benefits Assessment of Foods;
Nutrition, Immunity & Inflammation; Nutrition & Mental Performance; Prebiotics and Probiotics Task Forces – NEW
Background & Objectives
Currently, half of the literature available on the gut-brain axis is state-of-the-art reviews or correlative studies and comprehensive mechanistic insights underlining the bidirectional communication between the gut and the brain are lacking.
In this context, several Nutrition Task Forces decided to join forces to understand where we stand today regarding the mechanisms and more specifically to:
- focus on translational aspects from pre-clinical to clinical studies;
- focus on lifespan-related changes (but not disease-related) in gut structure and function which play a role in long-term immune and brain health;
- discuss the nutritional and lifestyle interventions with positive impact on the lifespan gut structure/function and thus on immune and brain health.
Output
A workshop will bring together key experts from different fields of expertise to debate and discuss on the current knowledge and data gaps, followed by a live-streamed debate leading to the publication of a report/position paper. A series of webinars will then be organised to discuss the identified gaps in more details.
Workshop: ‘Health Relevance of Lowering Post-Prandial Glycaemia in Children and Adolescents through Diet’ – In collaboration with the
Dietary Carbohydrates Task Force
Background & Objectives
The workshop is planned for autumn 2020. The main objectives are to:
- discuss the literature on the impact of lowering post-prandial glycaemic responses on health outcomes in infancy, childhood and adolescence;
- debate the role of limiting high glycaemic excursions for metabolic disease prevention, with a specific focus on glycaemic control and risk markers related to metabolic disease prevention (Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease);
- the way by which lower post-prandial glycaemia is obtained will be discussed especially regarding the long term effect.
Output
The outcomes will be published as to reflect the state of the art in the field.
Early Bacterial Colonization and Potential Implications Later in Life
Background & Objectives
- Provide insight into the role of microbiota during the early stages of life in programming health and disease.
- Review potential implications of nutritional interference.
Output
This expert group is developing a series of two manuscripts reviewing existing evidence related to:
- bacterial colonisation early in life;
- bacterial transfer from the placenta (first manuscript) and from the mammary gland (second manuscript).
Omega-3 and Omega-6 PUFA Intakes, Ratios and Health Effects
In collaboration with the Nutrient Intake Optimisation Task Force
Impact
- Intake levels of total polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) in adults are available. However, information on intake of specific omega-3 and omega-6 PUFA in vulnerable populations is limited or sometimes lacking.
- Experts have investigated the adequacy of current omega-3 and omega-6 PUFA intake in several vulnerable target groups (namely infants, children, adolescents, pregnant/lactating women and the elderly), by comparing intake data with current recommendations (Sioen et al., 2017).
- Based on this review, other knowledge gaps are being identified and addressed.
Output
This expert group is developing a series of three manuscripts:
- the first publication investigated current intake of total and specific omega-3 and omega-6 PUFA in European diets for the identified vulnerable groups (Sioen et al., 2017);
- the second publication is a systematic review on arachidonic acid and its health effects (Calder et al., 2019);
- the third manuscript will describe the relevance of omega-3 and omega-6 PUFA intake indexes and ratios as well as comparing them to absolute intake levels.
-
-
Early Growth Velocity and Risk of Metabolic Disorders Later in Life – Completed
Expert Group Members
Gestational Diabetes and Diet
Prof. Helen Murphy – Chair University of East Anglia UK Prof. Eline Van Der Beek – Vice-Chair Danone Nutricia Research NL Dr Eurídice Castañeda Gutiérrez Nestlé Research Center CH Prof. Rosa Corcoy Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona ES Dr Eran Hadar University of Tel-Aviv IL Prof. Seppo Heinonen University of Helsinki FI Prof. Jeya Henry University of Singapore SG Prof. Moshe Hod University of Tel-Aviv IL Ms Joanne Kellett University of East Anglia UK Prof. Kirsi Laitinen University of Turku FI Prof. Sjurdur Olsen Danish Centre for Fetal Programming DK Prof. Lucilla Poston King’s College London UK Dr Ricardo Rueda Abbott Nutrition ES Prof. Petra Rust University of Vienna AT Dr Jennifer Yamamoto University of Calgary CA Dr Matthieu Flourakis ILSI Europe BE Ms Nevena Hristozova ILSI Europe BE
Early Bacterial Colonization and Potential Implications Later in Life
Prof. Christine Edwards – Chair University of Glasgow UK Dr Ricardo Rueda – Vice-Chair Abbott Nutrition ES Dr Clara Belzer University of Wageningen NL Prof. Angel Gil University of Granada ES Ms Vittoria Marinello University of Glasgow UK Prof. Susan Ozanne University of Cambridge UK Prof. Catherine Stanton Teagasc IE Prof. Eline van der Beek Danone Nutricia Research NL Dr Janna van Diepen Renckitt Benckiser/Mead Johnson Nutrition NL Dr Carolien van Loo-Bouwman Yili Innovation Center Europe NL Dr Matthieu Flourakis ILSI Europe BE
Omega-3 and Omega-6 PUFA Intakes, Ratios and Health Effects
Prof. Ronald Mensink – Chair1-2 University of Maastricht NL Prof. Philip Calder – Vice-Chair1-2 University of Southampton UK Prof. Cristina Campoy1-2 University of Granada ES Dr Mathilde Fleith1-2 Nestlé Research Center CH Prof. Stewart Forsyth1-2 DSM UK Mr Per-Olof Larsson2 BASF SE NO Dr Szimonetta Lohner2 University of Pécs HU Prof. Anne Marie Minihane1 University of East Anglia UK Dr Alíz Szommer1-2 University of Pécs HU Dr Bert van de Heijning1-2 Danone Nutricia Research NL Dr Carolien van Loo-Bouwman1-2 Yili Innovation Center Europe NL Ms Nevena Hristozova1 ILSI Europe BE Dr Matthieu Flourakis2 ILSI Europe BE
* ‘Indexes and Ratios’ Focus Group Members
** ‘Arachidonic Acid and Health Effects’ Focus Group Members
* Dr Esther Castanys-Muñoz now works for Abbott Nutrition.
** Former employee of Mead Johnson Nutrition.
Publications
2019 British Journal of Nutrition 2019. Commissioned by the Early Nutrition and Long Term Health and Nutrient Intake Optimisation Task Forces. 2019 Acta Diabetologica 2019; Volume 56, Issue 2, pp 237–240. Commissioned by the Early Nutrition and Long Term Health 2018 Diabetes Care 2018;41:1346–1361. Commissioned by the Early Nutrition and Long Term Health and the Obesity and Diabetes Task Forces. 2017 Acta Paediatrica. 2017;106:1230-1238. Commissioned by the Early Nutrition and Long-Term Health Task Force. 2017 Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism 2017;70:39-50. Commissioned by the Nutrient Intake Optimisation and Early Nutrition and Long Term Health Task Forces.All Publications
A Systematic Review of the Effects of Increasing Arachidonic Acid Intake on PUFA Status, Metabolism and Health-Related Outcomes in Humans
Usual Dietary Treatment of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Assessed after Control Diet in Randomized Controlled Trials: Subanalysis of a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Gestational Diabetes Mellitus and Diet: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials Examining the Impact of Modified Dietary Interventions on Maternal Glucose Control and Neonatal Birth Weight.
Systematic Review indicates Postnatal growth in term infants born small for gestational age is associated with later neurocognitive and metabolic outcomes
Systematic Review on N-3 and N-6 PUFA Intake in European Countries in Light of the Current Recommendations – Focus on Specific Population Groups