Would Boosting The Oxytocin System Lead To Longer Breast-Feeding?
STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colorado (July 19, 2005) Theres little controversy about the benefits of breastfeeding infants over giving them formula. Mothers milk is the perfect food, providing exactly the correct nourishment for newborns, while protecting them from many illnesses. There also are good economic and maternal health reasons that would seem to make a compelling case for breastfeeding for the six-to-12 months recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. However one major reason why women stop breastfeeding is low weight gain and growth rate of their baby, Steven L. Bealer of the University of Utah points out. His team of researchers decided to find out what factors might cause low weight gain. They studied how blocking the oxytocin (OT) hormonal system, which serves several functions in the birth process and milk delivery during nursing (lactation), would affect offspring during and after birth. They found that if the central OT receptors in the pregnant females brain are block
