Tier 4 — mechanistic

Association of breast milk betaine and related metabolites with neurodevelopment in 6-month-old infants: a prospective birth cohort study

Qiaoli Huang, Fengfeng Guo, Haoyan Zou, Yufang Zhang, Beibei Xu, Jie Li, Yu Xiao, Siyao Zhou, Mingzhe Kou, Hexin Lin, Shanxing Gong, Xuying Tan, Fengxiang Wei, Lijun Wang
Food & function 2026 17(4):1885-1898

Bibliography

PubMed
PMID 41615294
DOI
10.1039/d5fo04631a
Funding
Funding was not specified in the indexed record or accessible funding metadata.
Competing interests
A competing-interest declaration was not available in the indexed record or accessible disclosure metadata.

Study snapshot

DesignProspective birth cohort
ModelHuman participants
Sample158 mother-infant pairs
InterventionMeasured betaine status and related metabolites; no randomized TMG treatment
DurationMilk at 42 days postpartum; development at 6 months
EndpointsInfant neurodevelopment; Milk metabolites

What the study showed, in plain terms

Published in 2026, this source examined human observational and biomarker research. It examined Measured betaine status and related metabolites; no randomized TMG treatment. The source describes 158 mother-infant pairs.

Higher milk betaine was associated with better scores in several developmental domains; exploratory mixture modelling especially highlighted fine-motor scores.

Observational exposure analysis: residual confounding and reverse causation remain possible. Associations do not establish that betaine supplementation causes the same outcome.

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Key findings

  • Higher milk betaine was associated with better scores in several developmental domains; exploratory mixture modelling especially highlighted fine-motor scores.
  • The recorded outcome domains were Infant neurodevelopment; Milk metabolites.

What this study can and cannot tell us

  • Observational exposure analysis: residual confounding and reverse causation remain possible. Associations do not establish that betaine supplementation causes the same outcome.
  • Source basis: Indexed abstract and bibliographic data. Missing method details, funding information or participant denominators are not inferred.

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Editorial review

Reviewed by the Biohack Blueprint research team

Last verified

Dr. Khaled Mahmoud, MBBChCritical Care Medicine, Longevity Science & Editorial Direction Dr. Amr Yasser, PhDCardiometabolic, Musculoskeletal, Gut & Bioavailability Dr. Abdulla Mostafa, PhDCellular Senescence, Neurological, Mitochondrial & Brain-Ageing Biology