Breastfeeding: Mother Response to Infant Cry, Research Paper Example

Background

Breastfeeding is an important part of an infant’s life not only because it supports the immune system (and for other biological factors) but because breastfeeding also offers physiological bonds between mother and child that contribute to an infant’s ability to create meaningful bonds later in life. This close contact aids in the “social-emotional development” (Pilyoung et al., 2011, p. 907). Pilyoung et al. (2011) found that functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) proved that certain receptor areas in the brain were related to “maternal behaviors” (Pilyoung, 2011, p. 907). The article goes on to say that there has been little substantiating research done with the fMRI in response to lactating mothers and the “underlying relationship” (Pilyoung et al., 2011, p. 908) in human mothers and infants. Pilyoung et al. (2011) investigated the different neural responses that occur between human mother and infant during breastfeeding and the associations made between these two may contribute to early postpartum and “maternal sensitivity” (Pilyoung et al., 2011, p. 908).

In order to gain a better understanding of the issues Pilyoung et al. (2011) conducted a biological study on mothers and infants. The groups were divided into two different groups depending on the mother’s feeding preference (formula vs. breastfeeding). 17 mothers were involved in the research that spanned over a period of 2-4 weeks postpartum. The researchers did fMRI scanning on the mothers during their first four weeks of postpartum. Research was done in order to find out about brain activity when a mother would hear her infant crying as opposed to a “controlled baby-cry” (Pilyoung et al., 2011, p. 907). Researchers controlled and observed the study by videotaping mothers and infants in the home and then “blindly code[ing] for maternal sensitivity” (Pilyoung et al., 2011, p. 908).

Researchers found that “the first postpartum, “month, breastfeeding mothers showed greater activations in the superior frontal gyrus, insula, precuneus, striatum, and amygdala while listening to their own baby-cry as compared to formula-feeding mothers” (Pilyoung et al., 2011, p. 913). For both dyadic groups (breastfeeding and bottle feeding) there was an increase in activity in the superior frontal gyrus and in the amygdala (areas of the brain that are associated with a mother’s biological responses). With these findings the researchers found that there is a strong link “between breastfeeding and greater response to infant cues in brain regions implicated in maternal–infant bonding and empathy during the early postpartum” (Pilyoung et al., 2011, p. 913-914). These activities may prove that when an infant begins engaging in social settings the maternal sensitivity is greater.

Observations that were made in the study were that the researchers broke up their variable into the breastfeeding/formula dyad. There was also no control group by which to measure the results. The study also did not clearly differentiate between age-ranges and geography. In order to have a better sample, these elements should be addressed in a follow-up study. Other observations included no differentiate between gender of infant. At this age, infants are not under social bonds and therefore their identity is free from adhering to societal rules of gender, but certain parts of the brain such as the amygdala are affected by gender and should have been accounted for in the study. Also, the amygdala showcases potential psychiatric issues that should be footnoted in the study (a smaller amygdala has been noted in serial killers but the studies on this are nubile and there is no background on which to place a constant).

Further research should be conducted in order to gain a better sense of maternal response to infant cries. The researchers break down of lactating and formula-feeding techniques was a good differentiate to include in the study. Other differentiations may also be included if researchers are going to re-visit this study such as half formula and half breastfeeding one infant to find out if the neurological response is the same. These differentiations may be key to unlocking maternal response and triggers that occur during postpartum.

Researchers should have also tried to include how many children the mothers have had previously because this could also affect the methodology in the study and certainly the fMRI results. Previous experience breastfeeding and having gone through post-partum could be contributing variables as to whether or not he maternal response is a reprise of a previous infancy, or with new mothers, the response could be so new and extreme that it could in some way affect the results of the study.

The researchers did a good job with conducting parts of the study. Not only should an fMRI be involved as a tool but a qualitative questionnaire administered by a psychologist should also be part of the research to have a more thorough base of understanding of post-partum and breastfeeding. The qualitative response may be more telling than the fMRI but both of them together may offer more to the research and a more thorough conclusion for the study. Working in tandem with qualitative and quantitative reports would build a stronger case for the researchers.

References

Pilyoung, K., Feldman, R., Mayes, L., Eicher, V., Thompson, N., Leckman, J., & Swain, (2011, April 18). Breastfeeding, brain activation to own infant cry, and maternal sensitivity. The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 52(8), 907-915.