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FromThe69thMeetingofTheAmericanPhysicalSociety–DivisionofFluidDynamics
UnderstandingtheMechanicsofBreastfeeding
Researcherscombinemechanics,hydrodynamicsandbiologytostudyinfantfeeding
EMBARGOEDforreleaseuntil9a.m.EasternTimeonNovember21,2016
For More Information:
AIP Media Line
[email protected]
301-209-3090
Washington,D.C.,November21,2016—Breastfeedingisatopicthatcreatesdiscussionandattimesevencontroversy.
However,somebasicquestionsaboutitsbiologystillremain.Forinstance,doessuccessfulinfantfeedingdependonthe
mechanicsofthebreastand,conversely,doesbreasthealthdependonbreastfeeding?Ithasbeenvirtuallyimpossibletostudy
thesecomplexdynamicsandthedelicateinterplaythatmakesbreastfeedingpossible,butapairofresearchersareworking
togethertobuildabiomimeticbreastthatwillallowscientiststostudyhowthebreastbehavesduringitsprimaryfunction:
infantfeeding.NicoleDanos,anassistantprofessorofbiologyattheUniversityofSanDiego,andhercollaborator,RebeccaZ.
German,aprofessorofanatomyandneurobiologyatNortheasternOhioMedicalUniversity,areworkingtogethertoaddressa
gapinourunderstandingofbreastfeedingmechanics.Theworkwillbepresentedatthe69thAnnualMeetingoftheAPS
DivisionofFluidDynamicsheldinPortland,OR,November20-22,2016.
Theideathatmechanicsiscriticalforcontrollingmilkproductionandflowisalreadywellunderstoodandthereiseven
evidencethatitmightcontributetobreastfeeding'sprotectivefunctionagainstcancer.WorkdonebyGermanhasprovided
significantimprovementsinourunderstandingofhowinfantscoordinatesucking,breathingandswallowingandwhat
happensduringsomeofthemostcommonneurologicaltraumasoftheheadandneckininfants.Whathasbeenmissingisan
understandingofthepairedmother-infantinteraction.Thisisespeciallytrueinanevolutionarycontext,wherethereisaneed
tobetterunderstandhowimportantthegland'sanatomyandmechanicalpropertiesaretoinfantfeedingandhow,inturn,
infantfeedingcontrolslactation.Thedevelopmentofabiomimeticbreastwouldallowstudyofthiscomplicated,butverybasic
biologicalfunction.
Abiomimeticbreastisaworkingmodelthatmimicstheform,structureandfunctionofalactatingbreast.Thefirstphasewill
includeseveraliterationsoffeedingbottlesthatwillhavevariedexteriorwallstiffnessanddiameterofthetubesthrough
whichthemilkflows.Inthenextphase,theywanttoincreasethecomplexityofthedevicetoaddstructuresthatmimicsome
ofthesupportiveconnectivetissues.“Thestrengthofourapproach,though,liesintheuseofthebreastdevicewithananimal
modelofinfantfeedingalongwithcuttingedgeimagingtechniquestovisualizebothmilkflowandthefunctionofsoftand
hardstructuresintheinfantmouthandlarynx,”Danossaid.
Thisresearchwillfillavoidinhowwestudylactationmechanics.Studyinglactationwithrealmother-infantpairspresents
twochallenges:visualizingtheflowandtissuemechanicsiseitherimpossibleorverydifficult,andmanipulatingthe
mechanicalpropertiesofthematernalglandinacontrolledwaythatgetsatthefactorssignificantlyaffectinginfantfeeding
cannotbedone.Developingabiomimeticbreastwillallowbothwhileworkinginthelabundercontrolledconditions,and
researcherscanfinallygetatwhatthenaturalmechanicsofbreastfeedinglooklike.Datafromthesestudieswillprovidethe
controlledmechanicalenvironmentforstudiesofbreastcancermechanobiology.Theymayalsoleadtobetterfeedingbottles
forinfantsandmilkpumpsforbothhumansandagriculturalmammals.“Ourresearchcouldevenleadtothedesignofinfant
feedingdevicesthatcloselymimicnaturalbreastfeedingallowingothercaretakers,likedads,tofeedinfantswithoutthe
limitationsofbottlefeedingwhichcanbeespeciallycriticalforinfantswithhealthproblems,”Danossaid.
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Abstract:L1.00005:"Ontheneedforabiomimeticbreastdevice"
byNicoleDanosandRebeccaGermanisat5:22-5:35pmPST,November21,2016inRoomA105
FormoreinformationabouttheAPSDFD2016meeting,visit:http://apsdfd2016pdx.org/
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MOREMEETINGINFORMATION
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USEFULLINKS
Mainmeetingwebsite:http://apsdfd2016pdx.org/
Technicalprogram:http://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/DFD16/Content/3199
Meeting/Hotelsite:http://apsdfd2016pdx.org/?page_id=30
PressRoom:http://www.aps.org/newsroom/index.cfm
LookforliveupdatesonTwitterthroughoutthemeetingwith#APSDFD
PRESSREGISTRATION
Wewillgrantfreeregistrationtocredentialedjournalistsandprofessionalfreelancejournalists.Ifyouareareporterand
wouldliketoattend,contactJuliaMajors([email protected],301-209-3103)whocanalsohelpwithsettingupinterviewsand
obtainingimages,soundclips,orbackgroundinformation.
LIVEMEDIAWEBCAST
ApressbriefingfeaturingaselectionofnewsworthyresearchwillbewebcastlivefromtheconferenceonMonday,November
21st.Thefirstbriefingat2:00pm(EST)isabouttheforensicanalysisofbloodspatterandhowchangingthepositionofyour
fingerscanhelpyouswimfaster.Thesecondoneat4:00pm(EST)isaboutcat'sVelcro-liketonguesandbubbles.More
informationcanbefoundatthefollowinglink:https://www.aps.org/units/dfd/pressroom/
ABOUTTheDIVISIONOFFLUIDDYNAMICSOFTHEAMERICANPHYSICALSOCIETY
TheDivisionofFluidDynamicsoftheAmericanPhysicalSocietyexistsfortheadvancementanddiffusionofknowledgeofthe
physicsoffluidswithspecialemphasisonthedynamicaltheoriesoftheliquid,plasticandgaseousstatesofmatterunderall
conditionsoftemperatureandpressure.https://www.aps.org/units/dfd/
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