{
  "abstract": "Background Preterm infants are exposed to numerous physiological, medical, dietary, and environmental challenges that may affect early microbial colonization. Compared with term infants, preterm infants exhibit a distinct gut microbiome profile. Early dietary exposure is an important factor influencing gut microbiome development in preterm infants. This research aims to explore the effects of mothers’ own milk versus infant formula on the gut microbiome composition of preterm infants.Methods A systematic review was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guideline using three databases – Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed. The search string used: (‘preterm infant’ OR ‘premature infant’ OR ‘preterm neonate’ OR ‘premature neonate’)AND(‘human milk’ OR ‘maternal milk’ OR ‘breast milk’ OR ‘mother’s milk’ OR ‘own mother’s milk’ OR ‘formula’ OR ‘formula feeding’ OR ‘infant formula’)AND(‘gut microbiota’ OR ‘gut microbiome’ OR ‘intestinal microbiota’ OR ‘intestinal microbiome’ OR ‘fecal microbiota’ OR ‘fecal microbiome’)’ in abstract, keywords or title fields to retrieve potentially relevant publications from inception to 19 th March 2026. Original studies reporting on the influence of these two feeding methods on the gut microbiome of preterm infants were included.Results Fourteen studies were included for quality analysis. Most studies assessed the gut microbiome of preterm infants via fecal samples using 16S rRNA or shotgun metagenomic methods. Mother’s milk exposure was often associated with gut microbiome patterns considered favorable, including higher abundance of Bifidobacterium, greater microbial maturation, and lower abundance of potentially pathogenic or dysbiosis-associated bacteria. Several studies also suggested that mothers’ milk supported a more developmentally ordered pattern of colonization, whereas infant formula was associated with altered community structure and enrichment of taxa like Streptococcus, Enterobacteriales, or other less favorable bacteria (IDDF2026-ABS-0483 Figure 1. Summary of the effects of mothers’ own milk versus infant formula on the gut microbiome of preterm infants). However, findings were not fully consistent across studies. Some reports showed no significant differences in alpha diversity, and one study found lower alpha diversity in breastfed preterm infants despite compositional features interpreted as beneficial.Conclusions Evidence suggests that mother’s milk promotes a more favorable gut microbiome profile than infant formula in preterm infants, though heterogeneity limits certainty; thus, this highlights the need for rigorously designed studies with exclusive feeding groups to confirm its independent effect.Abstract IDDF2026-ABS-0483 Figure 1",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Microbiome Research Group, Research Centre for Life Science and Healthcare, Nottingham Ningbo China Beacons of Excellence Research and Innovation Institute (CBI), University of Nottingham Ningbo China, China"
      ],
      "name": "Learn-Han Lee"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Microbiome Research Group, Research Centre for Life Science and Healthcare, Nottingham Ningbo China Beacons of Excellence Research and Innovation Institute (CBI), University of Nottingham Ningbo China, China"
      ],
      "name": "Yidan He"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Microbiome Research Group, Research Centre for Life Science and Healthcare, Nottingham Ningbo China Beacons of Excellence Research and Innovation Institute (CBI), University of Nottingham Ningbo China, China"
      ],
      "name": "Loh Teng-Hern Tan"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Pathogen Resistome Virulome and Diagnostic Research Group (PathRiD), Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Malaysia"
      ],
      "name": "Vengadesh Letchumanan"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Microbiome Research Group, Research Centre for Life Science and Healthcare, Nottingham Ningbo China Beacons of Excellence Research and Innovation Institute (CBI), University of Nottingham Ningbo China, China"
      ],
      "name": "Jodi Woan-Fei Law"
    }
  ],
  "title": "IDDF2026-ABS-0483 Comparative effects of mother’s own milk and infant formula on the gut microbiome of preterm infants",
  "uid": "6a19feb3-e94e-5d8e-a32e-e3ca46afc7ab"
}