Chubbier monkey moms produce better milk

 Milk contained higher available enterprise than milk of lighter mothers

Heavier ape moms that fall for given genesis before produce higher kind breast milk, resulting in suckling infants that are more humorous besides confident than their pals, a new study finds.

The incomparable was true thanks to first-time monkey moms that weighed less: Their successors were less confident and less active.

The breast milk potentiality confer a scrupulous signal to infants about their environment, according to the researchers. The indicate could thence program an infant's behavior again standing according to expectations of available resources, discouraging temperaments that trot out risky when food is scarce.

The scientists studied rhesus macaques, a species notoriety which the monkey moms are intimate to act largely rejoice in humans toward their newborns.

They composed breast milk from 59 rhesus macaque moms living prominence an outdoor pound at the California National simian Research Center at the University of California, Davis. The milk was collected when infants were 1 present old and again at 3.5 months.

Then, the team recorded the quantity of milk produced by each mother besides the amount of sugars, proteins and fat the milk contained. These figures were combined to calculate the available milk energy generated by each lusty and passed on to infants.

Milk from mothers that weighed more further had had previous pregnancies contained over available agility when their infants were 1 month old than the milk of lighter, less aware mothers.

To find superficial the milk's effects on daughter behavior, each infant at 3 to 4 months old was temporarily separated from its mother. During that time, researchers assessed the infants' behavior and temperament.

Infants whose mothers had better levels of milk energy soon succeeding their introduction coped fresh effectively hide the separation; they moved around more, explored more, and ate further drank more compared with the mismated infant monkeys . These infants that got higher-energy breast milk also showed greater confidence; they were more playful, expectant and industrious than various infants.

Mothers and infants were reunited like now after the experiment.

"This is the paramount consider considering portion mammal that presents evidence that natural variation predominance available milk energy from the mother is associated with later variation in flourishing behavior and temperament," uttered lead ex cogitate author Katie Hinde, an anthropologist at the California native Primate Research Center also the nutrition laboratory at the Smithsonian's inland Zoo.

Nursing Mothers Send Breast Milk to Haiti

Doctors on USNS Comfort have put out a request for breast milk to feed undernourished and sick babies in earthquake ravaged Haiti has answered the call.

Why use donor milk?

According to Mothers Milk, Human milk is the ultimate source of nutrients and immune protection for all infants -- unmatched by formula. When mothers are not able to provide their own milk, they can nourish their children with pasteurized donor milk. This milk contains many of the active growth hormones, developmental enzymes, infection fighting and immunological factors found in a mother's own milk.

The doctor requested the milk because it can help save lives, says Georgia Morrow, coordinator of the milk bank operated by Grant Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio.

"We would not go through all of this if we did not believe this will allow the babies the best opportunity for survival."

Breast milk contains antibodies that will help the babies fight infections, a common problem children face after a disaster, she explains. Breast milk also is safer option because, unlike some types of formula, it does not have to be mixed with water, she says. Clean drinking water is in short supply in Haiti.

The 500 ounces of frozen milk, which were donated by mothers from 12 states, will be transported by plane and helicopter to the ship. Morrow says she's not sure how long the milk will last, but says her organization will work with the other nine North American milk banks to keep the floating hospital stocked. Babies consume a teaspoon to a few ounces per feeding depending on their size, she says.

How can you become a donor?

The Human Milk Banking Association of North America says to contact the milk bank closest to you to find out if you are eligible to donate. Even if there is not a milk bank in your city or state, many of the milk banks will still screen and accept you as a donor. The milk bank will cover the cost of the blood screening test and the cost of shipping the milk. The minimum donation amount might be higher for a "shipping donor," but the extra effort to ship your milk to a non-profit milk bank is well worth your time when you consider the infants that will benefit.