#Hedonic glands skin

D) Mean (± sem) relative durations of newborns' oro-cephalic responses during (10-sec stimulus period) and after (10-sec post-stimulus period) presentation of various olfactory stimuli (Abbreviations: AG: secretions of areolar glands S: sebum HM: human milk cow M: cow milk FM: formula milk van: vanillin M: milk f: familiar nf: non-familiar n = 19).Īlthough the findings to date on the effects of AG number on infants are only correlational in nature, these findings led us to hypothesize that AG might facilitate adaptive outcomes in both infants and mothers. B and C) Newborns' oro-cephalic responses to the secretion of Montgomery's areolar gland (B: lip pursing C: tongue protrusion). Areolar glands and infant behavior.Ī) Areola of a lactating woman (day 3 postpartum) with Montgomery's glands giving off their secretion (arrow). But so far, however, only correlational evidence is available, linking the mother's AG number with her perception of the infant's behavior while suckling, the timing of lactation onset, and neonatal weight regain after birth. Recent data suggest that these areolar glands (AG) might be involved in the success of breastfeeding initiation, especially in first-time mothers. These areolar structures enlarge during pregnancy and lactation, and can give off a noticeable latescent fluid after parturition (cf. Distributed on the areolae, these glands are formed by coalesced sebaceous and lactiferous units. Īnother mammary source of potentially significant odor cues has received virtually no empirical consideration about its function, although it becomes morphologically conspicuous in lactating women: the glands of Montgomery. In addition, this primal attractive potency of human milk odor to newborns is not easily reassigned by engaging them to learn an artificial odorant in association with nursing. Interestingly, however, the early positive bias of human newborns in favor of odor cues in human milk does not depend on prior breastfeeding experience, because neither term-born infants exclusively fed formula, neither premature infants, , react to these cues in the same way as do exclusively breast-fed infants. These appear to carry arousing and attractive properties for newborns.

The most studied sources of natural volatiles emanating from the breast are obviously colostrum and milk. Furthermore, it elicits positive head turning, ,, stimulates oral appetitive activity, , and may induce directional crawling in newborns. Breast odor reduces arousal states in active newborns, and increases them in sleepy ones –.

Three decades of research have demonstrated that naturally-emitted volatile compounds from the breast of lactating women impinge on the behavior of human newborns in several ways. In particular, a range of odorous substrates are locally emitted in colostrum or milk, or in the secretions of areolar glands. Indeed, in human females, the nipple-areolar region concentrates several features of potential chemo-communicative meaning directed to the suckling infant. Accordingly, their structure and function should be evolutionarily shaped to optimize, on the one hand, an efficient mother-to-infant transfer of water, nutrients, and immuno-protective factors carried in milk, and, on the other hand, the infant's rapid learning of sensory cues related to maternal identity and to significant events maximizing individual fitness.

#Hedonic glands skin

Nipples and adjacent skin ( areolae in primates) bear a pivotal role in mammalian reproduction: they constitute the minimal areas of the females' body to enter in obligatory and recurrent contact with the offspring during lactation.