Breast milk may provide environment cues

A new research study suggests that babies may receive important signals about their environment from their mamas breast milk.

Specifically, the study found that when baby monkeys breastfed they gained signals about their environment through their mother's breast milk and that, "These signals may program the infant's behaviour and temperament according to expectations of available resources and discourages temperaments that prove risky when food is scarce." The study's lead author notes, "This is the first study for any mammal that presents evidence that natural variation in available milk energy from the mother is associated with later variation in infant behavior and temperament... Our results suggest that the milk energy available soon after birth may be a nutritional cue that calibrates the infant's behavior to environmental or maternal conditions." Around the age of 4 months the researchers temporarily separated the baby monkeys from their mamas and assessed their behavior and temperament. Baby monkeys who had breastfed from mama monkeys with high levels of milk energy soon after their birth moved around more, explored more, ate and drank, and were playful, curious and active. Baby monkeys who breastfed from mamas who had lower milk energy were less confident and had lower activity levels. This study is very cool because if it's on target for human babies as well, it suggests that breastfeeding may turn out happier, confident and active babies. Yup, another great reason to breastfeed! *Source