Key clinical point: Lower levels of caprylate and acetate in breast milk could be risk factors for infantile atopic dermatitis (AD) in exclusively breastfed infants.
Major finding: Caprylate ( P = .034) and acetate ( P = .002) levels were significantly lower in breast milk for infants with vs. without AD, with caprylate ( P = .021) and acetate ( P = .015) levels in breast milk being the factors significantly associated with the presence of infantile AD.
Study details: This prospective, observational study included 94 2- to 4-month-old exclusively breastfed infants. In this group 47 infants were diagnosed with mild (n = 17), moderate (n = 25), or severe (n = 5) AD and 47 infants without AD formed the control group.
Disclosures: This study was supported by National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. The authors declared no conflict of interests.
Source: Wang LC et al. Lower caprylate and acetate levels in the breast milk is associated with atopic dermatitis in infancy. Pediatr Allergy Immunol. 2022;33(2) e13744 (Feb 21). Doi: 10.1111/pai.13744