Mothers who give birth through a Cesarean section could pass on stress to babies through hormones in breast milk, says a New Zealand study by an Indian-origin researcher. The study, unveiled on Wednesday, said researchers at the University of Auckland's Institute analysed breast milk samples from 650 mothers when their babies were three-to-four months old, a news agency reported. The findings revealed levels of the stress hormone, cortisol, which were higher in the milk of mothers who got their babies delivered by Cesarean section (C-section) or who had no partner at home.
As well as a major regulator of the body's stress response, cortisol was an important influencer of mood and growth, researcher said in a statement. While a certain amount of stress hormones were needed to stimulate healthy development, evidence from animal studies suggested that higher cortisol in milk affected the…
