Jean,

There is research somewhere that has measured oxytocin in breastmilk...from memory it was not thought that it would have any impact because it would not be available. However, it is likely that oxytocin is released in babies in response to the intimate social and physical interaction that occurs during breastfeeding. A couple of refs that talk about this are below.

24. Mooncey S, Giannakoulopoulos X, Glover V, Acolet D, Modi N: The effect of mother-infant skin-to-skin contact on plasma cortisol and β-endorphin concentrations in preterm newborns. Infant Behav Dev 1997, 20:553-557.

27. Schore AN: The effects of a secure attachment on right brain development, affect regulation, and infant mental health. Infant Ment Health J 2001, 22:7-66.


Karleen Gribble
Australia
The question came into my mind: Does anyone know if it is possible to
absorb oxytocin through the GI tract, and whether breastmilk contains
oxytocin? I have read that it contains prolactin, but thus far, no effect
had been hypothesized. But if it were to contain oxytocin, this article
suggests some powerful possibilities in relation to infant emotional
development.

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