Effect of human breast milk on urinary 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine excretion in infants

During the perinatal period, oxidative stress is intimately involved in pathologic processes of serious diseases. Although breast milk contains many antioxidants, it is not clear whether breast milk can act as an antioxidant in infants in vivo. We compared the oxidative stress levels in total of 41 healthy 1-mo-old infants by measuring urinary 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine, which is one of the biomarkers of oxidative DNA damage. These infants were divided into four groups according to the type of feeding. Urinary 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine excretion of the breast-fed group was significantly lower than those of the artificial milk dominant mixed-fed group or the bottle-fed group. Our data suggest that breast milk, not artificial formula, acts as an antioxidant during infancy.