Amy says,


> Can anyone correct me if I don't have this right and/ or help me find =
> references that define the origin of the sensation of hunger in the =
> newborn infant?
>
>
While you are at it Amy, perhaps you could find and define the origin of the
sensation of hunger in any human.  Is it an empty stomach?  If so, then why
can you sometimes eat dinner at 6:00 pm, and it's 10:00 the next morning
before you feel hungry, while at other times you eat dinner at 6:00 pm, and
you are "starving" at 9:30 pm?  Is it a fluctuation in blood sugar?  If so,
how much of a fluctuation is there?  How much difference is there in a normal
healthy adult in a fasting blood sugar vs. a blood sugar measured after a
normal meal?  And if it is that -- then see example (1) above.  Is it
something that triggers the "appestat?"  And if so, what is it that triggers
the "appestat?"  (And how on earth can I get it turned off???)  I too would
like to know what triggers "hunger" in a newborn.  I think it is an excellent
question.  When do we know for certain that a baby is hungry vs a baby who
"just wants to suck?"  Mothers see their infants continue to root after what
appears to be a good feed (if I'm not there to see it, I have to take her
word for it), and she assumes "he's starving" and "I don't have enough milk
for him," so she gives him a bottle, and "he just sucked it all down."

Amy -- let us know as soon as you find out the answer!!

Jan Barger, RN, MA, IBCLC -- Wheaton IL
Lactation Education Consultants
www.lactationeducationconsultants.com

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