阅读说明：本技术 母体补充剂 (Maternal supplement ) 是由 C·L·加西亚-罗德纳斯 M·阿福尔特尔 于 2018-11-29 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明提供了母体组合物,其中所述母体组合物被专门配制用于已早产的妇女或处于早产风险的妇女。(The present invention provides a maternal composition, wherein said maternal composition is specifically formulated for a woman who has been born preterm or who is at risk of being born preterm.)

1. A maternal composition, wherein said maternal composition is specifically formulated for a woman who has been born preterm or a woman at risk of preterm.

2. The parent composition of any one of claims 1, wherein the parent composition comprises selenium, zinc, tocopherol, retinol, niacin, or any combination of any of the foregoing.

3. The parent composition according to claim 2, wherein said parent composition comprises selenium and/or zinc and/or tocopherol and/or retinol and/or niacin and does not comprise other vitamins or minerals and/or other ingredients with health effects/benefits.

4. The parent composition according to claim 2 or 3, wherein said parent composition contains only selenium and/or zinc and/or tocopherol and/or retinol and/or niacin.

5. The parent composition of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein if the parent composition comprises selenium, the selenium is in the range of 20-400 mcg/day; if the parent composition comprises zinc, the zinc is in the range of 20-100 mg/day; if the composition comprises tocopherol, the tocopherol is in the range of 11-1000 mg/day; if the parent composition comprises retinol, then the retinol is in the range of 500-.

6. Maternal composition according to any one of the claims 1 to 5, wherein said maternal composition is administered to a woman desiring to get pregnant, a pregnant woman and/or a lactating woman, and preferably to a woman who has been born preterm when their infant or child has reached the mother's last menstrual age of 38 weeks and more.

7. The maternal composition according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein said maternal composition is specifically formulated for women who have been born preterm, and wherein said composition is a lactation supplement.

8. The maternal composition according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein said maternal composition is specifically formulated for a woman at risk of preterm birth, and wherein said composition is a pre-pregnancy and/or pregnancy supplement.

9. Use of a maternal composition as defined in any one of claims 1 to 5 for optimizing the quality of breast milk in a woman, preferably a woman who has been or is at risk of preterm birth.

10. Use of a maternal composition as defined in any one of claims 1 to 5 for optimizing the growth and development of a preterm infant or child.

11. The maternal composition according to any one of claims 1 to 5 for use in the treatment or prevention of the production of sub-optimal quality of breast milk in a woman, preferably a woman who has been or is at risk of preterm birth.

12. The maternal composition according to any one of claims 1 to 5 for use in the manufacture of a composition for the treatment or prevention of the production of sub-optimal quality of breast milk in a woman, preferably a woman who has or is at risk of preterm birth.

13. The maternal composition according to any one of claims 1 to 5 for use in the manufacture of a composition for the treatment or prevention of suboptimal growth and/or development, infection, lung disease, blindness and bone fracture in preterm infants or children.

14. A method of treating or preventing a woman from producing breast milk of sub-optimal quality, the method comprising administering to the woman a maternal composition as defined in any one of claims 1 to 5, and wherein the woman is preferably a woman who has been preterm or is at risk of preterm delivery.

15. A method of treating or preventing suboptimal growth and/or development, infection, lung disease, blindness and bone fractures in preterm infants or children, the method comprising administering to the woman a maternal composition as defined in any one of claims 1 to 5, and wherein the woman is preferably a woman who has been or is at risk of preterm birth.

The technical field is as follows:

the present invention relates to a maternal composition, wherein said maternal composition is specifically formulated for a woman who has born preterm or is at risk of preterm birth. The invention also relates to the use of the maternal composition to optimize the quality of breast milk in women who have been preterm, to optimize growth and development in preterm infants or children, and/or to prevent infections, lung diseases, bone fractures or blindness in preterm infants or children.

Background art:

according to the World Health Organization (WHO) statistics, about 1500 million infants are born prematurely every year, that is, prior to 37 full weeks of gestation. Premature infants and children suffer from suboptimal growth and development and an increased risk of various health problems including infection, lung disease and blindness.

It is believed that none of the factors may lead to an increased risk of sub-optimal growth and development and health problems observed in preterm infants and children, but that nutrition plays a crucial role.

The gold standard for infant nutrition is breast milk. Preterm infants are recommended to drink breast milk and, where possible, breast-fed preterm infants. In the early stages, breast milk fed to preterm infants needs to be supplemented or fortified. However, once he(s) have reached the mother's last menstrual age of 40 weeks (actual age-number of preterm weeks-mother's last menstrual age), the nutritional needs of preterm infants are considered to be the same as those delivered at term, and breast milk alone is generally considered sufficient as a nutritional source.

The present inventors have now surprisingly found that when the end menstrual age of the mother of a preterm infant or child matches the age of a term born infant or child, the breast milk produced by the mother of the preterm infant or child may not be of the same quality as the breast milk produced by the mother of the term born infant. In particular, the present inventors have found that when the age of the last menstruation of the mother of the preterm infant or child matches the age of the term infant or child, the breast milk produced by the mother of the preterm infant or child may contain lower concentrations of one or more nutrients, such as selenium, zinc, tocopherol, retinol and/or niacin.

Given that the nutritional requirements of a term born infant and a preterm infant of the same mother's last menstrual age are considered to be the same, there is a need to optimize the quality, e.g. to increase the concentration of one or more nutrients (e.g. selenium, zinc, tocopherol, retinol and/or niacin) in the breast milk of a preterm mother.

There is also a need to ensure that preterm infants receive the same or similar optimal nutrition as those received by term infants.

There is also a need to optimize the growth and development of preterm infants or children, for example by optimizing the nutritional intake of said infants or children, and/or to prevent, or reduce the risk or severity of, infections, lung diseases and/or blindness.

The present invention aims to meet one or more of these indicated needs.

Disclosure of Invention

The invention is set forth in the claims and described in the detailed description contained herein. The present inventors have designed a maternal composition, wherein the maternal composition is specifically formulated for women who have born preterm or are at risk of preterm birth.

The parent composition may comprise one or more vitamins or minerals, for example it may comprise one or more of selenium, zinc, tocopherol, retinol and niacin.

If the parent composition comprises selenium, the selenium may be in the range of 20-400 mcg/day; if the parent composition comprises zinc, the zinc can be in the range of 20-100 mg/day; if the parent composition comprises tocopherol, the tocopherol may be in the range of 11 to 1000 mg/day; if the parent composition comprises retinol, retinol may be in the range of 500-.

The maternal composition may be specifically formulated for a woman at risk of preterm birth and/or a woman who has been preterm. It may be a pre-pregnancy and/or lactation supplement.

The maternal composition of the present invention can be used to optimize the quality of breast milk in a woman (e.g., a woman who has been born preterm). The maternal composition may also be used for the treatment and/or prevention of the development of sub-optimal quality of breast milk in a woman (e.g., a woman who has been born preterm). The maternal composition may also be used to optimize growth and development of an infant or child (e.g., preterm infant or child), and may be used to prevent infection, bone fracture, lung disease and/or blindness in an infant or child (e.g., preterm infant or child) and/or reduce the risk or severity of infection, bone fracture, lung disease and/or blindness in an infant or child (e.g., preterm infant or child).

The maternal composition may be administered in combination with a maternal composition not specifically formulated for women who have born prematurely.

Detailed Description

In one aspect of the present invention, a maternal composition is provided, wherein said maternal composition is specifically formulated for a woman who has born preterm or is at risk of preterm birth.

A preterm woman may be considered to be any woman who has delivered prior to the full week of 37 gestation.

A parent composition may be considered to be specifically formulated for a preterm woman if the composition is specifically manufactured or sold for a woman who has and/or is at risk of preterm birth.

The number of whole weeks of gestation may be calculated by determining the time elapsed since the first day of the woman's last menstrual period. For purposes of calculation, it should be remembered that the first day of the woman's last menstrual period is considered the zeroth day rather than the first day. Thus, days 0-6 correspond to "the zeroth full week" and days 7-13 correspond to "the first full week".

The number of whole weeks of gestation may be based on the best clinical estimate when the date of the last normal menstrual period is unknown.

A woman considered at risk of preterm birth may be any woman assessed by a physician as being at risk of preterm birth or having one or more risk factors, whether modifiable or unalterable.

Non-limiting examples of factors that may not be changed include: history of preterm birth, family history of preterm birth, low socioeconomic status, extremes of maternal age (such as teenagers (15-19 years) and women >35 years), multiple pregnancies, uterine abnormalities, prior cervicitis, prior curettage, and the use of assisted reproductive techniques.

Non-limiting examples of factors that may be varied include: very high or very low maternal Body Mass Index (BMI), smoking, drug abuse, short interval between pregnancies, short cervical length, periodontal disease, bacterial vaginosis, late or non-prenatal examination, poor pregnancy weight gain, and untreated prenatal depression.

The present inventors have found that the breast milk produced by the mother of a preterm infant or child may comprise lower concentrations of one or more proteins, vitamins and/or minerals when the mother's last menstrual age matches the age of the full term infant or child.

Thus, in one embodiment of the invention, the parent composition comprises a protein, a vitamin, a mineral, or a combination of any of the foregoing.

Non-limiting examples of proteins include casein, α -lactalbumin and/or lactoferrin.

Non-limiting examples of vitamins and minerals include iron, vitamin B6, vitamin B9, vitamin B12, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, copper, iodine, selenium, vitamin a, or Retinol Active Equivalent (RAE) (e.g., β mixtures of carotene or carotenoids), vitamin C, vitamin B1, niacin, folic acid, biotin, tocopherol, selenium.

In particular, the present inventors have found that when the end menstrual age of the mother of the preterm infant or child matches the age of the term delivery infant or child, the breast milk produced by the mother of the preterm infant or child may contain lower concentrations of one or more of casein, α -lactalbumin, lactoferrin, copper, selenium, zinc, tocopherol, retinol, niacin and/or nicotinuric acid.

Thus, in one embodiment of the invention, the parent composition comprises casein, α -lactalbumin, lactoferrin, copper, selenium, zinc, tocopherol, retinol, niacin, nicotinuric acid, or any combination of any of the foregoing.

It is known that the maternal intake of selenium, zinc, tocopherol, retinol and niacin affects their concentration in breast milk. Thus, it may be particularly beneficial if the maternal supplement contains one or more of these nutrients.

Thus, in an even more specific embodiment of the present invention, the parent composition comprises selenium, zinc, tocopherol, retinol, niacin, or any combination of any of the foregoing.

In addition to proteins and/or vitamins and/or minerals, the compositions of the present invention may also contain ingredients commonly used in maternal supplements. Non-limiting examples of such ingredients include: probiotics, lipids, carbohydrates, pharmaceutically active agents and conventional additives (such as antioxidants, stabilizers, emulsifiers, acidifiers, thickeners, buffers or agents for adjusting the pH, chelating agents, colorants, excipients, flavoring agents, osmotic agents, pharmaceutically acceptable carriers, preservatives, sugars, sweeteners, texturizers, emulsifiers and water).

This may be particularly beneficial if the parent composition of the invention comprises lipids (e.g. long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids). Some of these compounds are believed to affect the risk of preterm birth.

It may also be particularly beneficial if the maternal composition of the invention comprises probiotics, which may assist in the passage of nutrients through the intestinal tract. Thus, combining vitamins with probiotics can enhance the absorption of the vitamins.

The term "probiotic" as used herein refers to live probiotics, non-replicating probiotics, dead probiotics, non-viable probiotics, fragments of probiotics such as DNA, metabolites of probiotics, cytoplasmic compounds of probiotics, cell wall material of probiotics, culture supernatant of probiotics, and combinations of any of the foregoing.

The probiotic may be live probiotic, non-replicating probiotic, dead probiotic, non-viable probiotic, and any combination thereof.

In one embodiment, the parent composition of the invention comprises selenium and/or zinc and/or tocopherol and/or retinol and/or niacin and does not comprise other vitamins or minerals and/or other ingredients with health effects/benefits. The composition may comprise excipients, for example added for technical reasons.

Ingredients having a health effect as mentioned herein are ingredients added to provide health benefits, not ingredients added for technical reasons such as to stabilize the composition or to provide bulk to the composition.

In another embodiment, the parent composition of the invention contains only selenium and/or zinc and/or tocopherol and/or retinol and/or niacin. These ingredients may be encapsulated. Parent compositions comprising only selenium and/or zinc and/or tocopherol and/or retinol and/or niacin can be more economically prepared and marketed.

Any of the nutrients mentioned herein may be used in any amount in the parent composition of the present invention. The skilled person will be able to determine the appropriate amount of the nutrient according to the desired dosage thereof. The dosage may depend on the age, size and health of the woman to whom the nutrients are administered, on her lifestyle and on her genetic inheritance. The dosage may conform to a recommended daily intake (RDA) issued by an organization such as the food and nutrition commission of the national academy of sciences.

Particularly useful doses of selenium may range from 20-400 mcg/day, 25-250 mcg/day, 26-85 mcg/day, and/or 60-70 mcg/day.

Selenium may be included in the compositions of the present invention in any form suitable for ingestion by a pregnant woman or woman seeking pregnancy. For example, selenium may be included in the parent composition in the form of sodium selenite, sodium selenate, and sodium hydrogen selenite, or a mixture of any of the foregoing.

As will be apparent to the skilled person, different forms of selenium may provide different amounts of selenium in the composition. Nevertheless, it would be routine for the skilled person to calculate the amount of an ingredient (e.g. a dose of selenium) required to provide the claimed amount based on the specification for the particular ingredient.

Particularly useful dosages of zinc may range from 20-100 mg/day, 5-40 mg/day, 7-13 mg/day, or 9.5-12 mg/day.

The zinc may be included in the composition of the invention in any form suitable for ingestion by a pregnant woman or woman seeking pregnancy. For example, zinc can be included in the parent composition as zinc acetate, zinc chloride, zinc citrate, zinc gluconate, zinc lactate, zinc oxide, zinc sulfate, zinc carbonate, or a mixture of any of the foregoing.

As will be apparent to the skilled person, different forms of zinc may provide different amounts of zinc in the composition. Nevertheless, it would be routine for the skilled person to calculate the amount of an ingredient (e.g. a dose of zinc) required to provide the claimed amount based on the specification for the particular ingredient.

Particularly useful dosages of tocopherol may be in the range of 11-1000 mg/day, 7.5-300 mg/day, or 11-19 mg/day.

As used herein, the term tocopherol refers to any form of tocopherol or mixture of different tocopherols, for example the term may refer to α -tocopherol, gamma-tocopherol, or α -tocopherol and gamma-tocopherol mixture.

For example, gamma tocopherol and/or α tocopherol may be included in the parent composition in the form of a tocopherol concentrate mixture, vitamin E (L), a pure tocopherol mixture, vitamin E (D, L), dl- α tocopherol, vitamin E (D L- α tocopherol acetate), and a tocopherol-rich extract, or a mixture of any of the foregoing.

Nonetheless, it would be routine for the skilled artisan to calculate the amount of an ingredient (e.g., a dose of tocopherol (γ, α, or a combination thereof)) required to provide the claimed amount based on the specification for the particular ingredient.

Particularly useful dosages of retinol (vitamin A) may be in the range of 500-7300, 600-3000, 770-1300 or 800-850 micrograms/day.

For example, retinol can be included in the parent composition in the form of retinol, retinol acetate and retinol palmitate, β -carotene, or a mixture of any of the foregoing.

As will be apparent to the skilled person, different forms of retinol may provide different amounts of retinol in the composition. Nevertheless, it would be routine for the skilled person to calculate the amount of an ingredient (e.g. the dose of retinol) needed to provide the claimed amount based on the specification for the particular ingredient.

Particularly useful dosages of niacin (vitamin B3) may range from 14-900 mg/day, 17-120 mg/day, or 18-35 mg/day.

Niacin may be included in the compositions of the present invention in any form suitable for ingestion by pregnant women or women who are pregnant. For example, niacin may be included in the parent composition in the form of niacin, niacinamide, or mixtures thereof.

As will be apparent to the skilled person, different forms of retinol may provide different amounts of niacin in the composition. Nevertheless, it would be routine for the skilled person to calculate the amount of an ingredient (e.g. a dose of niacin) required to provide the claimed amount based on the specification for the particular ingredient.

In one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a parent composition of the present invention, wherein if the parent composition comprises selenium, the selenium is in the range of 20-400 mcg/day; if the parent composition comprises zinc, the zinc is in the range of 20-100 mg/day; if the composition comprises tocopherol, the tocopherol is in the range of 11-1000 mg/day; if the parent composition comprises retinol, retinol is in the range of 500-.

Other non-limiting exemplary dosage ranges for the ingredients that may be included in the parent composition of the invention may be 100-2500mg calcium, 35-350mg magnesium, 70-3500mg phosphorus, 2.7-45mg iron, 0.1-10mg copper, 22-1,100. mu.g iodine, 8.5-850mg vitamin C, 0.14-14mg vitamin B1, 60-1000. mu.g folic acid, 3-300. mu.g biotin.

Dosage as defined in the present application refers to the amount of a daily dose. Thus, the amount of nutrients in the composition may vary depending on whether it is intended to be ingested once a day or more frequently or less frequently.

The compositions of the present invention may be administered to a woman desiring to become pregnant, a pregnant woman, and/or a lactating woman.

If the maternal composition of the invention is administered to a woman who is pregnant, it may be administered, for example, during at least 1, 2, 3 or 4 months prior to pregnancy or the expectation of pregnancy.

If the maternal composition is administered to a pregnant woman, the composition may be administered during gestation for at least 4 weeks, at least 8 weeks, at least 12 weeks, at least 16 weeks, at least 20 weeks, at least 24 weeks, at least 28 weeks, at least 36 weeks. With increasing nutritional requirements in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy, it may be particularly beneficial if the maternal composition of the invention is administered throughout the second and/or third trimesters of pregnancy.

Administration of the maternal composition prior to and/or during pregnancy may enable the woman to accumulate a depot of one or more nutrients (e.g. selenium and/or zinc and/or tocopherol and/or retinol and/or niacin) which may be used by the body during lactation.

If the maternal composition of the invention is administered to a lactating woman, the composition may be administered at any stage of lactation, for example up to 2 years, up to 1 year, up to 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 month after birth.

In one embodiment of the invention, the maternal composition may be administered to a woman desiring to become pregnant, a pregnant woman, and/or a lactating woman.

The present inventors have found that when the mother's last menstrual age of a preterm infant or child matches the age of a term born infant or child, the breast milk produced by the mother of the preterm infant or child may not be of the same quality (contain the same amount of the same nutrients) as the breast milk produced by the mother of the term born infant. Therefore, it may be particularly beneficial if the maternal composition of the invention is administered when the infant of a preterm woman reaches the mother's last menstrual age of 38 weeks and above (e.g. 38 weeks to 48 weeks, 40 weeks to 48 weeks).

Thus, in one embodiment of the invention, the maternal composition is administered to a woman who has been born preterm when the infant or child of the woman who has been born preterm has reached the last menstrual age of the mother for 38 weeks and more (e.g., 38 weeks to 48 weeks, 40 weeks to 48 weeks).

As used herein, the term "maternal last menstrual age" refers to the actual age of the infant-the number of weeks of preterm birth (prior to the full week of gestation 40), e.g., if the infant is born at 36 weeks (4 weeks of preterm birth), the infant will have an actual age of 44 weeks and a maternal last menstrual age of 40 weeks at 8 weeks after birth.

As used herein, the term "maternal composition" refers to any composition that has been specifically manufactured for consumption by, or sold specifically for, a pregnant woman or a woman preparing for pregnancy.

The maternal composition of the present invention may be any type of composition suitable for administration to a woman who has born preterm or is at risk of preterm birth. It may for example be a food product, functional food product, beverage (drink), dairy or milk substitute product, pharmaceutical preparation or supplement.

The term "dairy product" as used herein refers to food products produced by animals such as cows, goats, sheep, yaks, horses, camels, and other mammals. Examples of dairy products are low fat milk (e.g. 0.1%, 0.5% or 1.5% fat), fat free milk, milk powder, whole milk products, butter, buttermilk products, skim milk, lactose free products, high milk fat products, condensed milk, whipped cream, cheese, ice cream and confectionery products, probiotic beverages or probiotic yoghurt type beverages. The milk substitute product may be a soy, almond or vegetable based milk substitute, such as milk or yogurt substitute.

The term "pharmaceutical formulation" as used herein refers to a composition comprising at least one pharmaceutically active agent, chemical substance or drug. The pharmaceutical formulation may be in solid or liquid form and may contain at least one additional active agent, carrier, vehicle, excipient or adjuvant as recognized by one of skill in the art. The pharmaceutically active agent may for example be an agent that prevents preterm birth or that minimises the risk of preterm birth. The pharmaceutical preparation may be in the form of tablets, capsules, granules, powders, liquids or syrups.

As used herein, the term "beverage product" refers to a nutritional product in liquid or semi-liquid form that can be safely consumed by an individual.

As used herein, the term "food product" refers to any kind of product that is safe for consumption by women who have born preterm or are at risk of preterm birth. The food product may be in solid, semi-solid, or liquid form and may comprise one or more nutrients, foods, or nutritional supplements. For example, the food product may additionally comprise the following nutrients and micronutrients: a protein source, a lipid source, a carbohydrate source, vitamins and minerals. The composition may also contain antioxidants, stabilizers (when provided in solid form) or emulsifiers (when provided in liquid form).

As used herein, the term "functional food product" refers to a food product that provides an additional health promoting or disease preventing function to an individual. Food products and functional food products include, for example, cereal-based products, yogurt or other dairy products, and bars.

As used herein, the term "supplement" refers to a nutritional product that provides an individual with nutrients (e.g., vitamins and/or minerals) that the individual may not otherwise ingest in sufficient quantities. The supplement may be provided, for example, in the form of a pill, tablet, lozenge, chewable or chewable tablet, tablet or capsule, or may be provided, for example, as a powder supplement dissolved in water or milk or simply sprayed on to food. Supplements typically provide selected nutrients without providing a significant portion of the individual's overall nutritional needs. Typically, they do not provide more than 0.1%, 1%, 5%, 10% or 20% of the individual's daily energy requirement. In the context of the present invention, an individual is a woman attempting to become pregnant, a pregnant woman at risk of preterm birth and/or a lactating woman who has been preterm.

In one embodiment of the invention, the maternal composition is specifically formulated for a woman at risk of or having preterm birth and is a pre-pregnancy and/or lactation supplement.

In one embodiment of the invention, the maternal composition is specifically formulated for women at risk of birth and is a pre-pregnancy supplement.

In another embodiment of the invention, the maternal composition is specifically formulated for women who have been born preterm and may be a lactation supplement.

As used herein, the term "pregnancy supplement" refers to a supplement specifically formulated for administration to, or sale to, a woman preparing for pregnancy and/or a pregnant woman.

As used herein, the term "lactating supplement" refers to a supplement that is specifically formulated for administration to or sale to lactating women.

Administration of the maternal composition of the present invention to a woman (e.g., a woman who has been preterm or is at risk of preterm birth) can optimize the quality of her breast milk by increasing the concentration of at least one nutrient. In particular, administration of the maternal composition of the invention may increase the concentration of one or more of selenium, zinc, tocopherol, retinol and/or niacin in breast milk of a woman (e.g., a woman who has been preterm or is at risk of preterm birth).

Thus, in another aspect of the present invention, there is provided the use of a maternal composition as disclosed herein for optimizing the quality of breast milk in a woman (e.g., a woman who has been preterm or is at risk of preterm birth).

Breast milk quality may be considered optimal if the concentration of one or more nutrients, such as selenium, zinc, tocopherol, retinol or niacin, is increased.

It is well within the ability of the skilled person to determine whether administration of a composition of the invention to a woman increases the concentration of one or more nutrients in her breast milk. In particular, the skilled person may measure the concentration of one or more nutrients (e.g. selenium, zinc, tocopherol, retinol or niacin) present in the breast milk of a woman to whom the composition of the invention has been administered and then compare it to the concentration of one or more nutrients (e.g. selenium, zinc, tocopherol, retinol or niacin) in the breast milk of a woman to whom the composition of the invention has not been administered. The skilled person may also measure the difference in concentration of nutrients in the breast milk of a woman before and after administration of the composition of the invention.

The amount of selenium, zinc, tocopherol, retinol or niacin present in the breast milk can be measured by well-known techniques. The amount of selenium and/or zinc can be measured, for example, using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The amount of retinol and/or tocopheryl acid can be measured, for example, using ultra performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet/visible light or fluorescence detection. The amount of niacin can be measured, for example, as described in Rededell et al, 2017, "Novel method for quantifying B-family isovitamins in Breast Milk", journal of analytical and bioanalytical techniques, Vol.8, page 352 (Redeuil et al, (2017) "A Novel methods for the Quantification of B-vitamins in Breast Milk". J Anal Bioanal Tech 8:352), doi: 10.4172/2155-9872.1000352.

In optimizing the concentration of one or more nutrients (e.g., selenium, zinc, tocopherol, retinol, or niacin) in breast milk, the compositions of the present invention may be used to treat or prevent a woman (e.g., a woman who has or is at risk of preterm birth) from producing sub-optimal quality breast milk.

For example, if the concentration of one or more nutrients (e.g., selenium, zinc, tocopherol, retinol, or niacin) is lower than its average value present in breast milk produced by mothers who have term production, then the quality of breast milk may be considered suboptimal.

Accordingly, in another aspect of the present invention, a maternal composition as disclosed herein is provided for the treatment or prevention of a woman (e.g., a woman who has been preterm or who is at risk of preterm) from developing sub-optimal quality of breast milk.

In a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided the use of a maternal composition as disclosed herein for the manufacture of a composition for the treatment or prevention of the development of sub-optimal quality of breast milk in a woman (e.g., a woman who has preterm or is at risk of preterm birth).

The average value of selenium present in the breast milk of a mother who has been born full term is 1.55mcg/100m L

The average value of zinc present in the breast milk of a mother who has been born full term is 355.4mcg/100m L

The mean value of retinol present in the breast milk of mothers who had been produced at term was 106.4mg/100m L

The average value of tocopherol present in the breast milk of a mother who has been born full term is 732.8mg/100m L

The average value of α tocopherol present in the breast milk of a mother who has been born full term is 690.3mg/100m L

The average value of gamma tocopherol present in the breast milk of a mother who has been born at term is 42.5mg/100m L

The mean value of nicotinic acid present in the breast milk of mothers who had been produced at term was 3.53mcg/100m L

The quality of breast milk and the amount of various nutrients accepted by infants can affect many health parameters. It is therefore important that breastfeeding infants or children receive the best quality of breast milk, and that women be treated and/or prevented from developing sub-optimal quality of breast milk as much as possible.

Selenium, zinc, tocopherol, retinol or niacin are all essential for optimal growth and development of the infant or child. Increasing its concentration in breast milk may prevent suboptimal growth and development (including growth retardation and/or developmental retardation), and may promote optimal growth and development in an infant or child (e.g., a preterm infant or child).

Thus, in a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided the use of a maternal composition as disclosed herein for optimizing the growth and development of an infant or child, in particular a preterm infant or child.

As used herein, the term "optimizing" includes improving or enhancing.

In the context of the present invention, the term "infant" means a human with the age below 12 months.

As used herein, the term "child" refers to a human being from 12 months to 12 years of age, e.g., from 12 months to 5 years of age, from 12 months to 4 years of age, from 12 months to 3 years of age, from 12 months to 2 years of age.

If the infant or child is born prematurely, the infant or child is born before the full week of gestation 37, and may be referred to as a preterm infant, or a preterm infant or child.

In another aspect of the invention, there is provided the use of a maternal composition as disclosed herein for the treatment or prevention of suboptimal growth and development, infection, lung disease, bone fracture and/or blindness in preterm infants or children.

As used herein, the term "prevention" includes both prevention and reduction of the risk of a disorder.

As used herein, the term "preventing" includes treating and reducing the severity of a disorder.

In another aspect of the invention, there is provided the use of a maternal composition as disclosed herein for the manufacture of a composition for the treatment or prevention of suboptimal growth (including growth retardation) and/or suboptimal development (including development retardation, infection, lung disease, blindness and bone fracture) in a preterm infant or child.

In another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of treating or preventing the development of suboptimal quality of breast milk in a woman (e.g., a woman who has been preterm or is at risk of preterm birth), the method comprising administering to the woman a maternal composition as disclosed herein.

In another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of treating or preventing suboptimal growth (including growth retardation) and/or suboptimal development (including growth retardation, infection, lung disease, blindness and bone fracture) in an infant or child born prematurely, the method comprising administering to the woman a maternal composition as disclosed herein.

The composition of the invention may be particularly beneficial if it is administered in combination with a maternal supplement not specifically formulated for women who have been born preterm.

As used herein, a range of values is intended to include each and every value and subset of values encompassed within the range, whether or not specifically disclosed. Additionally, these numerical ranges should be understood to provide support for claims directed to any number or subset of numbers within the range. For example, a disclosure of 1 to 10 should be understood to support a range of 2 to 8, 3 to 7, 1 to 9, 3.6 to 4.6, 3.5 to 9.9, and so forth. All references to singular features or limitations of the present invention shall include the corresponding plural features or limitations and vice versa unless otherwise indicated or clearly implied to the contrary in the context of the reference to such contents.

The term "and/or" as used in the context of "X and/or Y" should be interpreted as "X" or "Y", or "X and Y".

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art.

The present invention will now be described in more detail by the following examples.