Monday, April 25, 2016
The value of breastfeeding during the first few months of child life is of immense importance. The benefit of breast milk goes beyond basic nutrition and is essential for the complete growth and development of the baby. A team of Australian researchers linked the mechanism of production of breast milk with the development of large number of bi nucleated breast cells at the beginning of lactation.
In a paper published in the Journal of Nature Communications, researchers found the occurrence of vast number of bi- nucleated cells during late pregnancy. These cells termed as milk factories, enable enough milk production for a newborn whose sole source of nutrition is breast milk. This biological change was found only during the period of lactation, after which they returned back to their single nucleus state. According to the lead study author Jane Visvader of the Walter and Eliza Hall institute, the entire process of two nuclei development in breast cells is highly regulated so as to avoid any consequences that might result in production of more than two nuclei.
The development of the second nuclei in large number of breast cells and the important role it plays in initiation of milk production was deciphered by scientists using unique 3-D imaging technology.
Co-author Geoff Lindeman sums the findings by saying “Our research showed how mammals, including humans, wallabies and seals, were primed to adapt to pregnancy in ways that best supported the survival of their babies. Based on their presence in five different species, these findings suggest that this process has evolved in mammals as a mechanism to maximise milk production, which is essential for nourishing the newborn and the survival of mammalian species,"
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