Maternal physiological calming responses to infant suckling at the breast.

Autor: Ohmura N; Laboratory for Affiliative Social Behavior, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, 351-0198, Saitama, Japan. nami.ohmura@a.riken.jp., Okuma L; Laboratory for Affiliative Social Behavior, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, 351-0198, Saitama, Japan.; Laboratory for Human Cognition and Learning, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan., Truzzi A; Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Rovereto, TN, Italy.; School of Psychology, Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland., Esposito G; Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Rovereto, TN, Italy., Kuroda KO; Laboratory for Affiliative Social Behavior, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, 351-0198, Saitama, Japan. kumi.kuroda@a.riken.jp.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: The journal of physiological sciences : JPS [J Physiol Sci] 2023 Mar 14; Vol. 73 (1), pp. 3. Date of Electronic Publication: 2023 Mar 14.
DOI: 10.1186/s12576-023-00860-w
Abstrakt: The mother-infant relation is key to infant physical, cognitive and social development. Mutual regulation and cooperation are required to maintain the dyadic system, but the biological foundation of these responses remains to be clarified. In this study, we report the maternal calming responses to infant suckling during breastfeeding. Using behavioral measures and a Holter electrocardiogram as a readout of the maternal autonomic nervous system, the maternal activities during resting, sitting with her infant on her lap, and breastfeeding were assessed. We found that during breastfeeding, mothers talked less and maternal heart rate was lower than during sitting with the infant without breastfeeding. Congruently, maternal heart rate variability measurements indicated a higher parasympathetic activity during breastfeeding. Time-locked analyses suggested that this maternal calming response was initiated by the tactile stimulation at the breast by the infant face or mouth latch, which preceded the perceived milk ejection. These findings suggest that somatosensory stimuli of breastfeeding activate parasympathetic activity in mothers. Just as how the infant Transport Response facilitates the carrying of infants, the maternal calming responses during breastfeeding may promote efficient milk intake by inhibiting spontaneous maternal activities.
(© 2023. The Author(s).)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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