HMO sugars in human milk could help prevent and treat group B Strep infections in newborns

Quick Summary: Recent research finds special sugars in human breast milk could help prevent and treat group B Strep (GBS) infections in newborn babies.

Wow. The wonders of human milk for preventing infections.

Presented at the American Chemical Society (ACS) in August 2021, researchers suggest special sugars in breast milk called human milk oligosaccharides (HMO) could possibly help prevent or even treat group B Strep (GBS) infections in newborns.

The results presented at ACS Fall 2021 show that HMO sugars help prevent GBS infections in human cells and tissues taken from pregnant mothers, and also in mice.

About group B Strep (GBS)

As discussed in our group B Strep course, group B Streptococcus (GBS) is a common type of bacteria that can colonise the gastrointestinal and genital tracts of pregnant women.

As discussed in the course, if an expectant person is colonised with group B Strep during pregnancy, they could transfer GBS during labour and birth. This can result in the baby developing a serious infection. Group B Streptococcus (GBS) are a common cause of blood infections, meningitis and stillbirth in newborns.