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  • Clinical Research Article
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Associations of human milk leptin with maternal obesity and early infant weight trajectories

Pediatric Research (2025)Cite this article

Abstract

Background

To explore changes in adipokines during different stages of lactation, particularly in the context of maternal obesity, and their effect on growth trajectories by age 6 months.

Methods

Mother-infant dyads (n = 303) were enrolled from a birth cohort study. Data concerning maternal pre-pregnancy weight, infants’ breastfeeding practices, and anthropometric data were obtained regularly. We determined and compared leptin and adiponectin in colostrum and 2-month postpartum milk, in obese/ overweight and normal-weight mothers. Linear regression analyses were used to analyze the relationship between adipokines during lactation and infant growth metrics, specifically weight-for-age z-scores (WAZ), up to 6 months of age.

Results

Obese and overweight mothers exhibited higher leptin in 2-month milk (P < 0.001). While univariate analysis suggested an inverse relationship between 2-month leptin and WAZ changes up to 6 months (Beta =−0.13, P = 0.042), adjustments for confounders rendered this association to nonsignificant (adjusted Beta = −0.12, P = 0.06). Multiple regression analysis identified WAZ at birth as an independent predictor of WAZ at six months (adjusted Beta = 0.36, P < 0.001).

Conclusion

Insufficient evidence shows that leptin in the 2-month milk is independently associated with WAZ outcome at age 6 months, irrespective of maternal pre-pregnancy weight categories.

Impact

  • To date, large-scale study involving more than 300 mother-infant dyads, that explore the changes in adipokines during different stages of lactation in the context of maternal obesity, and their effect on infant growth is still lacking.

  • There is insufficient evidence showing that leptin in the colostrum or mature milk is independently associated with the weight outcome at 6 months of age, irrespective of maternal pre-pregnancy weight categories.

  • Birth weight z-scores is strongly associated with early postnatal growth. Longer follow-up studies are necessary to explore whether leptin in human milk could modulate later obesity risk.

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Data availability

The datasets generated for this study are available upon reasonable request from the corresponding author.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the study participants and their parents for participating in the current study. Moreover, we are grateful to the research assistants of the PATCH study group for helping in data and sample collection and providing technical assistance.

Funding

This work was supported by the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Keelung, Taiwan (CMRPG2N0261-62, 2N0061, 2K0321-322, 2E0131-135, and 2B0041-3).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Keelung, Taiwan

    Man-Chin Hua, Ming-Han Tsai & Sui-Ling Liao

  2. Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan

    Man-Chin Hua, Tsung-Chieh Yao, Ming-Han Tsai, Sui-Ling Liao, Kuan-Wen Su, Li‐Chen Chen, Shen-Hao Lai, Chih-Yung Chiu, Kuo-Wei Yeh & Jing-Long Huang

  3. Division of Allergy, Asthma and Rheumatology, Department of Pediatrics, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan

    Tsung-Chieh Yao, Kuan-Wen Su & Kuo-Wei Yeh

  4. Department of Pediatrics, Municipal TuCheng Hospital, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan

    Li‐Chen Chen & Jing-Long Huang

  5. Division of Chest, Department of Pediatrics, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan

    Shen-Hao Lai & Chih-Yung Chiu

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  1. Man-Chin Hua
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Contributions

All authors were involved in the study design, participates recruitment, and written consent. MC Hua was involved in the laboratory work, statistical analysis and interpretation of its results. MC Hua wrote the first draft of manuscript, and JL Huang edited it. All authors reviewed the manuscript and approved the final version of the manuscript.

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Man-Chin Hua or Jing-Long Huang.

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Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Ethics approval and consent to participate

This study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of Chang Gung Memory Hospital (202201630A3, 202102580B0A3, 201901820A3, 103-6519A3,100-0225B) and complied with the declaration of Helsinki. Written informed parental consent was obtained.

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Hua, MC., Yao, TC., Tsai, MH. et al. Associations of human milk leptin with maternal obesity and early infant weight trajectories. Pediatr Res (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41390-025-03984-4

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