Browsing by Author "Alatalo, Diana Lynn"
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Item Human Milk Rheology: a Path Toward Understanding the Physiology of Breastfeeding(December 2021) Alatalo, Diana Lynn; Hassanipour, Fatemeh; Bleris, Leonidas; Iungo, Giacomo Valerio; Fadda, Dani; Prasad, ShaliniBreastfeeding is the recommended method of feeding infants and requires coordinated mechanical activities from both the mother and infant to succeed. Previous studies on breastfeeding biomechanics have been limited to infant-applied forces that are easily obtained. The flow of milk within the human mammary ducts plays a critical role in breastfeeding but lacks extensive study. The rheological profile of raw human milk provides a medium to facilitate further study on the mechanics of breastfeeding with greater emphasis on the contribution of the mammary gland in response to infant-applied forces. The following work presents a new understanding in infant-applied pressures, an expanded exploration of milk rheological behavior, and the response of milk to specific suckling patterns. The results of these experimental studies provide greater insight into breastfeeding mechanics.Item The Rheological Behavior of Raw Human Milk(2016-12) Alatalo, Diana Lynn; 0000-0003-0337-1192 (Hassanipour, F); Hassanipour, FatemehMilk is a biological fluid produced in the mammary glands of all mammals during and after pregnancy. Like other biological fluids, the transport of milk in the ductal system of the breast is essential to good health during lactation. Content of mammalian milk is species-specific with variations throughout lactation and between individuals. Unlike other biological fluids found in humans, the rheological properties of human milk have not been comprehensively studied. The present study reviews previous work done on the rheology of milk from various mammals, including humans, defines the flow conditions found within the human breast, examines the content of human milk as it relates to the flow properties, and presents experimental work performed on raw human milk. The results of the experimental work demonstrate that raw human milk is a time-dependent shear-thinning non-Newtonian fluid with gel-like behavior at rest. The findings of this study indicate the need for further research which is currently underway.