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As humans evolved, so did the composition of human milk—transforming into a highly specialized, bioactive substance designed to nourish, protect, and shape infant development. The unique demands of placentation, rapid brain growth, and the need to support relatively immature newborns led to the emergence of a complex network of hormones known as neohormones.
Neohormones are central to mammalian reproductive success. They not only regulate fertility and pregnancy, but also direct the development and function of mammary tissue and contribute directly to the bioactive composition of human milk. These hormones do not act in isolation, they interact dynamically with both the epigenome and the microbiome, influencing gene expression and microbial colonization in ways that shape long-term health outcomes.
Human milk serves as a powerful biological communication system, helping to program the infant’s epigenome and microbiome for optimal growth, immune function, and adaptation to the environment. From hormonal signaling to microbial seeding and salivary interactions, this session explores the extraordinary complexity of human milk and its role in early life programming.
Participants will gain a deeper understanding of how neohormones, epigenetic mechanisms, and the microbiome intersect to influence development, and why these insights are critical for advancing lactation support and long-term health outcomes.
Objectives
- Define neohormones and describe their role in human milk and mammary function
- Explain how neohormones interact with the epigenome and microbiome to influence infant development
- Identify at least two bioactive components of human milk that support long-term health outcomes
- Describe one way human milk contributes to epigenetic programming or microbiome development
Outline
- What are neohormones? Definitions and key concepts
- Evolutionary drivers: how and why mammalian hormones adapted
- Mechanisms of action: how neohormones function in the body
- Neohormones in pregnancy and placental development
- Neohormones in lactation and human milk composition
- Introduction to the epigenome and microbiome
- Interactions between human milk, epigenetics, and microbial development
- Salivary interactions and bioactive signaling in human milk
- Unique protective components of human milk
- Current and emerging research
- Q&A







