mother

Vaccinating Pregnant Women For COVID Seems to Give Future Protection to Their Babies

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If a pregnant woman catches COVID, it’s very rare for the virus to be passed through the placenta to the fetus. But it’s long been known that a mother’s antibodies can cross the placental barrier to the baby and can also be transferred via breast milk after the baby is born. This is why it’s … Read more

Animal behaviour: Female mammals that suckle another’s young have more offspring

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By Christa Lesté-Lasserre Suckling piglets suckling a sow Shutterstock / Thuwanan Krueabudda Mammals that share their milk produce more offspring over the course of the year – and the benefits are even greater than those seen when nursing mothers are supported in other ways, such as being provided abundant food or parenting help. The findings suggest … Read more

Mother jaguars may flirt to save their cubs’ lives | Science

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It was almost Valentine’s Day 2020, and love was in the air—jaguar love, that is. A pair of the spotted big cats tumbled in the grass, sending throaty mating growls through the grasses of Hato La Aurora Nature Reserve in Colombia’s tropical savanna region. When wildcat ecologist Diana Stasiukynas of the big cat conservation philanthropy … Read more

Flu vaccines during pregnancy protect babies for 6 months after birth

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Evidence shows that getting a flu jab during pregnancy provides substantial protection to young babies, but uptake in many countries is still concerningly low Health 14 January 2022 By Alice Klein Pregnant women can pass on antibodies to their babies Shutterstock/Rido Babies are two-thirds less likely to get the flu in their first six months … Read more

Babies: Mother’s smell helps infants bond with strangers

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Maternal body odour signals to babies that they can safely build relationships with other adults, a trait that may have evolved so that mothers can share the load of child rearing Humans 10 December 2021 By Alice Klein A mother and daughter fizkes/Shutterstock Babies are more socially receptive to unfamiliar women when they can smell … Read more