Science
Related: About this forumAnimal Moms Customize Milk Depending on Baby's Sex
A special blend of mother's milk just for girls? New research shows animal moms are customizing their milk in surprising ways depending on whether they have a boy or a girl.
The studies raise questions for human babies, too about how to choose the donor milk that's used for hospitalized preemies, or whether we should explore gender-specific infant formula.
"There's been this myth that mother's milk is pretty standard," said Harvard University evolutionary biologist Katie Hinde, whose research suggests that's far from true in monkeys and cows, at least.
Instead, "the biological recipes for sons and daughters may be different," she told a meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science on Friday.
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/animal-moms-customize-milk-depending-babys-sex-22525439
msongs
(67,453 posts)Gore1FL
(21,152 posts)The article raised the first question that came to my mind--the effect with male and female twins. I would also be interested in what happens in animals with "litters."
It would be interesting to see a human-based study, as well.
Brainstormy
(2,381 posts)why in the world we think humans need cow's milk?
DreamGypsy
(2,252 posts)Katie is the author of the AAAS presentation discussed in the article referenced by the post.
Below is a video from the Harvard Thinks Big 4 event at Harvard University.
I found the presentation to be interesting, informative, and a little wacky.
Katie Hinde teaches several classes in the Human Evolutionary Biology Department (at Harvard) including The Neurobiology of Sociality and Building Babies: Developmental Trajectories from Conception to Weaning. She investigates how variation in the composition of mother's milk influences infant behavioral, biopsychological, and physical development. She also maintains "Mammals Suck... Milk!" a blog showcasing research on mother's milk, breastfeeding, and lactation that is accessible to the general public, clinicians, and researchers.