Winnie,

There's been a bit of research on this. They have actually found that even
virigin rats have their brains changed when they are placed in the position
of caring for babies (Modney BK, Hatton GI. (1994). Maternal behaviors:
evidence that they feed back to alter brain morphology and function Acta
Paediatrica Supplement 397: 29-32.). I think it is well established that
oxytocin is involved in maternal behaviour (even in humans) and while
oxytocin is released via during breastfeeding it is also released at other
times (eg during skin to skin contact) and I guess that there would be
multiple factors involved in changing the brain. My interest???Considering
how the disadvantage that adoptive mothers have in parenting without
biological priming can be overcome....my opinion, in parenting as close to
the physiological norm as possible including maximising skin to skin
contact, close physical proximity day and night and (of course)
breastfeeding!

So it's not lactating per se or giving birth per se but the actual
caregiving which is no doubt enhanced if braestfeeding is a part of it. It's
interesting stuff isn't it!

Karleen Gribble

Australia

>
> What jumped out at me was the fact that they compared virgin rats with
> LACTATING rats.  Then the results were extrapolated to be applicable to
all
> mothers.  One has to wonder to what extent it was the lactating as opposed
> to simply having given birth.

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