HMO - Physiological significance: Why are they in mother's milk?

Human milk oligosaccharides (HMO) have no nutritive value, yet mothers spend significant energy for their synthesis. So what do they do? Clinical observational studies together with basic research position HMO as multifunctional innate breastmilk component.

In his presentation Dr. Norbert Sprenger discusses how HMOs may help the development of appropriate immune competence likely in part through the support of age-appropriate microbiome maturation.