Thirty samples of unheated expressed breast milk (EBM) from thirty lactating mothers, stored at room temperature (RT) and in the refrigerator (at +4 degrees C), were examined for the degree of bacterial contamination at two hourly intervals upto eight hours. All the EBM samples contained bacteria, mostly of normal skin flora; Staphylococcus albus 76.7%; Streptococcus viridans 40%. Potential pat...

Large amounts of calcium are transferred to offspring by milk. This demand results in negative calcium balance in lactating mothers and is associated with rapid bone loss. The mechanisms of bone loss during lactation are only partly understood. Several studies have suggested that parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) might be secreted into the circulation by the lactating mammary gland an...

OBJECTIVE To describe the iodine nutrition of pregnant and lactating women in Hong Kong, where intake is of borderline sufficiency. DESIGN Review of cross-sectional and prospective studies. SETTING China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR). SUBJECTS Pregnant and lactating women. RESULTS Studies of pregnant women in Hong Kong SAR have revealed an increase in the urinary iodine...

Mammalian mothers provide water to their young via milk. Rodent mothers reclaim much of this water by licking the anogenital areas of their pups, stimulating reflexive urination, and consuming the pups' urine. Male rodents do not provide milk (hence water) to the young, but in some species male parents may nevertheless lick their pups. We determined the amount of water transfer from pups to mot...

Treatment of lactating rats with the anti-progestin Mifepristone or Onapristone adversely affects growth of their litters. The present studies aimed to elucidate the underlying mechanism. The treatment did not interfere with the behavioural interactions between mothers and pups, which are required for normal litter growth. Treatment with the antagonists had a stimulatory action on ovarian oestr...