Human Milk Oligosaccharide Compositions for Infant Gut Maturation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Infants, particularly preterm infants, have immature immune systems and intestinal tracts, making them susceptible to infections, diarrhea, allergies, and food intolerance due to suboptimal intestinal flora development, and there is a need for nutritional compositions that enhance gastrointestinal growth, maturation, and immunity.

Innovation Solution

Nutritional compositions containing human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), alone or in combination with prebiotic oligosaccharides and probiotics, are administered to stimulate enteric nerve cells, improve gut function, and enhance immune systems, thereby reducing conditions like necrotizing enterocolitis and improving feeding tolerance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If breast milk is administered to infants, then gastrointestinal growth, development, and maturation are improved, but not all infants have access to human breast milk

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvegastrointestinal growth and maturationVSAvoidavailability to all infants

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates synthetic infant formulas that replicate the beneficial components of breast milk, specifically incorporating human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) and prebiotic oligosaccharides to copy the gastrointestinal protective and developmental effects of natural breast milk feeding

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses synthetic nutritional compositions as an intermediary substitute for breast milk, containing specific oligosaccharide blends that mediate the transfer of breast milk's beneficial effects to infants who cannot receive actual breast milk

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If nutritional compositions with HMOs are administered to stimulate enteric nerve cells and improve gut function, then gastrointestinal diseases are reduced, but the complexity of the nutritional composition increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvereduction of gastrointestinal diseasesVSAvoidcomplexity of nutritional composition

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the complex mixture of oligosaccharides into distinct functional categories (HMOs and prebiotic oligosaccharides) with specific identified components, allowing for targeted formulation while maintaining the beneficial effects of the combined composition

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a composite nutritional composition combining multiple types of oligosaccharides (HMOs and prebiotic oligosaccharides) to achieve synergistic effects that enhance gastrointestinal health beyond what single components could provide alone

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Data Source

PatentUS20250288602A1Methods for decreasing the incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis in infants, toddlers, or children using human milk oligosaccharides

Publication Date: 2025.09.18 ABBOTT LAB INC

AI summary

Disclosed are methods of reducing the incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis in an infant, toddler, or child using nutritional compositions including human milk oligosaccharides. The nutritional compositions including the human milk oligosaccharides are effective in reducing inflammation and the incidence of inflammatory diseases.