Does human milk oligosaccharides (HMO) utilization vary among breastfed infants?

Florac De Bruyn of Nestlé Research and Development, Switzerland discusses the latest insights on infant HMO utilization and its link to gut microbiome composition in this exclusive ESPGHAN 2025 interview. The study quantified HMOs in breast milk and infant fecal samples to determine how HMOs are metabolized by the gut microbiota. Findings indicate that HMO utilization varies among infants, classifying them as either full or partial consumers. This presents a novel understanding of how HMO diversity and differential utilization are linked to the gut microbiome and its functionality.​