09/14/2025
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Health Rounds: A mothers’ breastmilk supply may partly depend on genetics
By Nancy Lapid Updated September 12, 2025
Sept 12 (Reuters) - "Three genes have been identified that may influence a woman’s milk supply when she is trying to breastfeed, researchers say.
While the precise role of the genes isn’t clear yet, the findings “will pave the way for more research in the area of milk production… and future studies will assist in our understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of breastfeeding difficulties,” they wrote in a report published in Science Advances, click link here to access: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adr7174
In fresh breast milk samples donated by nine lactating people with low milk production, seven with high milk production, and 14 with normal milk production, the researchers analyzed the genetic makeup of milk fat globules and of cells that had come from the lining of the milk duct.
Low and high milk producers had differences in cell types and in levels of three genes called GLP1R, PLIN4, KLF10.
Because breastmilk delivers the mother's beneficial bacteria to the infant's intestines, the researchers also wanted to know whether genes affecting milk volume would also affect the health and variety of the baby's gut bacteria, which play a key role in immune, metabolic, and nervous system functions.
Mothers’ milk supply levels did not impact the babies’ intestinal bacteria, or microbiome, they found.
“These findings further support the messaging that individuals with low milk supply should be encouraged to continue partial breastfeeding to support healthy infant microbiome development,” the researchers said.
Reference:
Genomic characterization of normal and aberrant human milk production
Yarden Golan et al. ,Genomic characterization of normal and aberrant human milk production.Sci. Adv.11,eadr7174(2025). https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adr7174
Abstract
Breastfeeding is essential for reducing infant morbidity and mortality, yet exclusive breastfeeding rates remain low, often because of insufficient milk production. The molecular causes of low milk production are not well understood. Fresh milk samples from 30 lactating individuals, classified by milk production levels across postpartum stages, were analyzed using genomic and microbiome techniques. Bulk RNA sequencing of milk fat globules (MFGs), milk cells, and breast tissue revealed that MFG-derived RNA closely mirrors luminal milk cells. Transcriptomic and single-cell RNA analyses identified changes in gene expression and cellular composition, highlighting key genes (GLP1R, PLIN4, and KLF10) and cell-type differences between low and high producers. Infant microbiome diversity was influenced by feeding type but not maternal milk production. This study provides a comprehensive human milk transcriptomic catalog and highlights that MFG could serve as a useful biomarker for milk transcriptome analysis, offering insights into the genetic factors influencing milk production."
https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/health-rounds-mothers-breastmilk-supply-may-partly-depend-genetics-2025-09-12/
