Figure 2
Potential pathways from residential green environment to infant health via variations in HMO composition. The investigated associations in this study are shown with bold arrows. The thin arrows show suggested pathways, grey ovals physiological mechanisms and orange boxes infant health outcomes, which need further studies. Green environments (with varying levels of environmental microbiota)35,44 may influence the abundance and composition of microbiota that colonize the maternal skin and respiratory tract leading to changes in maternal immunity26,27,28,32,34 and milk microbiota42. Green environment may also influence the concentrations of other components in milk such as pollutants12 which interact with HMOs within milk. These lead to changes in HMO diversity and composition. Modifications in HMO composition may further impact on infant gut microbiota composition46 and immunity20 impacting on risks of several childhood diseases.
