Rubber Nipple Research Articles

Ventriculoperitoneal shunt survey in pediatric patients in an emergency setting: a comparison between ultra-low-dose CT using a tin filter and plain radiography.

The aim of this study was to investigate the diagnostic performance, effective radiation dose, and examination time of ventriculoperitoneal shunt evaluation using full-body ultra-low-dose CT (ULD CT) with a tin filter compared with digital plain radiography in a pediatric population. A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted in an emergency setting. Data from 143 children were collected. Sixty were examined with ULD CT with a tin filter and 83 with digital plain radiography methods. Effective doses and times were compared between the two methods. Two observers in pediatric radiology evaluated the patient images. Clinical findings and results from shunt revision, if it was performed, were used to evaluate the diagnostic performance between modalities. An examination-room simulation was performed of the two methods to estimate representative examination times. The mean effective radiation dose for ULD CT with the tin filter was estimated to be 0.29 ± 0.16 mSv compared with 0.16 ± 0.19 mSv for digital plain radiography, with both examinations associated with a very low lifetime attributable risk (< 0.01%). The shunt tip could be more reliably located with ULD CT. ULD CT also allowed assessment of additional findings to explain patient symptoms, such as a cyst at the tip of the shunt catheter and the presence of an obstructing rubber nipple in the duodenum that could not have been observed on a plain radiograph. The examination time with ULD CT of the shunt was estimated to be 20 minutes. The examination time of the shunt with digital plain radiography, including the examination itself time and transfer of the patient between rooms, was estimated to be 60 minutes. ULD CT using a tin filter allows good visualization of the position or disruption of the shunt catheter that is comparable or superior to plain radiography, at a higher dose, while providing additional findings and reduced patient discomfort.

Sucking and drinking behaviour in preweaned dairy calves in the first five weeks of life

BackgroundNursing and sucking are essential for adequate nourishment of preweaned calves and the relationship between sucking indices has not been studied. The goal of this study was to investigate the number of sucks per litre of milk and per minute of drinking and the amount of milk ingested per suck in healthy preweaned calves. Correlation coefficients were calculated for the relationships between these variables. Eighteen healthy calves were used from birth to 5 weeks of age, and five measurements were made at the end of weeks 1 to 5. The calves were randomly divided into three groups and offered milk twice daily in a bucket with a rubber nipple. The amount of milk offered per day was equal to 12% of body weight in group A and 16% of body weight in group B. Calves in group C were offered as much milk as they wanted during each feeding period. The duration of drinking was determined with a stopwatch, and the number of sucks was counted with a handheld tally counter. The variables drinking duration, total amount consumed and the number of sucks required were used to calculate the number of sucks/min, the number of sucks/L, the amount ingested per suck and drinking speed.ResultsThe number of sucks/min ranged from 113 to 133 and increased significantly during the study period. The mean number of sucks/L decreased from 204 in week 1 to 141 in week 5 and drinking speed increased from 0.6 to 1.0 L/min. There were significant correlations between the number of sucks/L of milk and the amount of milk ingested per suck, drinking duration, total amount consumed and drinking speed. Drinking speed was positively correlated with the amount of milk ingested per suck and the total amount of milk consumed, and negatively correlated with drinking duration.ConclusionsThese findings show that drinking variables of calves offered different amounts of milk vary little and significant changes occur during the same period with respect to the number of sucks/L of milk and the amount of milk ingested per suck. Several drinking variables are significantly correlated with other variables.

Evaluation of environmental and comfort improvements on affective welfare in heifer calves on smallholder dairy farms

A controlled trial on zero-grazed smallholder dairy farms was conducted to determine the effect of environmental and comfort improvements on sucking and lying behaviours in heifer calves on Kenyan smallholder dairy farms.The study involved 187 heifer calves from 150 farms in two Kenyan counties, 75 farms per county. Farms in one county received animal welfare training and improvements in the calf pen that included: 1) placement of rubber mats on the lying area; 2) fixing gaps/holes in the flooring and roofing; and 3) attaching a rubber nipple on the wall of the calf pen. During the 16-month data collection period, bimonthly farm visits were used to collect data on lying time (using accelerometers) and other animal- and farm-level factors. Multilevel mixed-effects linear regression was used to model daily lying times and frequency of lying bouts, with the animal as a random effect.Over the visits, daily lying times and lying bout durations averaged 12.6–86.7 min/bout, respectively, while the median for the frequency of lying bouts was between 30–46/day. Provision of rubber nipples for non-nutritive sucking lowered proportions of cross-sucking, self-sucking and object-sucking behaviours slightly but not significantly. In a final daily lying time model, superficial lymph node enlargement, body condition score and use of wood shaving/ sawdust/ crop waste as beddings had positive associations. In contrast, group housing and rubber mat use had negative associations with daily lying time. In an interaction term, lying time was significantly higher for calves on clean versus dirty floors if the age was <190 days but this difference diminished significantly in older animals. In a second interaction term, lying time was lower for calves with leaking versus non-leaking roofs, regardless of the pen floor level, but lying time was higher on elevated than non-elevated floors if the roof was intact. In the final model of the frequency of lying bouts, the use of a rubber mat, the years of experience in dairy farming, and calf body weight had negative associations. In contrast, body condition score had a positive association. In an interaction, the frequency of daily lying bouts was lower on clean floors than dirty floors, irrespective of tethering status, but when the floor was dirty, the lying bouts were higher for animals not tethered than the ones sometimes tethered. We conclude that the comfort improvements enhanced the welfare and lying experience of heifer calves on smallholder dairy farms.

Effects of Dysphagia Treatment Applied to Infants with Pierre Robin Syndrome – Single Subject Research Design

Pierre Robin syndrome is characterized by micrognathia, glossoptosis, and cleft palate. Infants with Pierre Robin syndrome causes feeding difficulty, upper airway obstruction, and other symptoms. This study aims to examine the effects of applying dysphagia treatment to infants with Pierre Robin syndrome. The study participant was an infant who was born four weeks premature and referred for dysphagia treatment approximately 100 days after birth. At the initial assessment, the infant showed oral sensory sensitivity, a high level of facial and masticatory muscle tension, and a low stability of the chin and cheeks with almost no normal “sucking-swallowing-breathing” pattern. We set the baseline period and intervention period using the AB design. During the baseline period, non-nutritive sucking training using a rubber nipple was conducted without implementing an oral stimulation intervention. During the intervention period, non-nutritive sucking training and an oral stimulation intervention were performed. After the intervention period, the infant’s daily oral intake and oral intake per time significantly increased compared to that during the baseline period. We observed that the oral intake time of the infant decreased during the intervention period compared to that in the baseline period, which indicated an improvement in control over the chin, tongue, and lip movements, a change in muscular tension, and stabilization of the “sucking-swallowing-breathing” pattern. We provided dysphagia treatment before breastfeeding, it was positive effects such as normal development of the infant, transition from tube feeding to bottle feeding, and enhancement of overall oral motor function.

IDENTIFICATION OF FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH THE USE OF PACIFIERS IN CHILDREN

Background: A pacifier is a rubber, plastic or silicone nipple given to the baby on sucking. In its standard appearance, it has a nipple, a mouth shield, and handle. Most children have a strong suction reaction. Some children, even suck thumb or fingers before their birth. Beyond nutrition, suction is often soothing, calming effect. There are many factors associated with using a pacifier such as; help to put the baby to sleep, calm the child when disturbed / irritable, wake up from nap / sleep, ride the car / transport, keep the child comfortable and calm, prevent the child from sucking thumb, school / social environment, calming the baby when teething, it reduces the risk of the sudden infant distress syndrome (SIDS), and cultural issue. Aim: To identify factors associated with the use of pacifiers in children. Methods: A descriptive design was used. Population & Setting: The target population of this study consisted of 52 mothers of children who coming at Emtidad Nasir primary health care center - Khartoum for vaccination during the study period. Tools: Structured Interviewing Questionnaire was used to collect the required data. The results: Most of studied sample were male children (80.8%) and their age less than 6 months (80.8) equally. Mothers level of education fewer of them were university (21.1%), the majority of mothers aged < 20 years old (59.6). Total factors related to the child (e.g. First born, breastfed infant, end of the pacifier, decreased weight, and breastfed in the first hour after birth) mean score and SD were 7. 64±2.377. While the total factors related to the mothers (e.g. primigravida, cultural issues, have uncertainty about ability to breastfeed and difficulty in breastfeeding, nervousness and impatience, the pacifier is convenient for the mother, stop crying of a baby, didn't know believe that pacifier uses impacts speech production, mother not healthy) mean score and SD were 11.18±3.569. Conclusion: The current study concludes that the children using a pacifier were significantly correlated with child if he/she is first born, breastfed infant, the child doesn't end the use of the pacifier, decrease in child weight, the initial feeding is formula, mothers primigravida, mothers uncertainty about her ability to breastfeed and difficult in breast feeding, mother did not know the effect of using a pacifier on her children, and whom advised the mother to give her child a pacifier. Recommendation: conduct of health education programs for mother in all health care facilities about benefit and risk regarding using a pacifier for their children.

Characterization of Snap-On Calf Nipple Product and Development of its Compound Formulation Based on Natural Rubber

This research aimed to develop the formulation of natural rubber filled with carbon black, silica and calcium carbonate for rubber calf nipple application. The reverse engineering was performed on the calf nipple product to analyze the rubber type and component by using Soxhlet extraction, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) techniques. Furthermore, mechanical properties were examined to act as benchmark for the rubber compound design. The results showed that rubber component in the nipple product was natural rubber, whereas two filler types revealed as carbon black and calcium carbonate with 10 and 35 of the total weight. In addition, rubber nipple showed the hardness of 46±1 Shore A and tensile strength of 5.3±0.60 MPa. From the investigation of the properties of developed rubber compounds in this work, it was found that the mechanical properties depended on type and content of filler. The required mechanical properties of vulcanizates were achieved at 20 phr of carbon black (N330), 20 phr of silica and 120 phr of calcium carbonate.

Air

Air Brian Phillip Whalen (bio) I’d lost the electric inflater, so I sat opposite my father on the hard-wood floor while we took turns blowing air into the rubber nipple. The more the mattress amplified, the faster air escaped. To offset the pressure lost, we inhaled deeper and blew harder and before we knew it we were feeling pretty high. “In Nam,” my father said, hugging the mattress with his tree-trunk arms, “They dropped me from twelve-thousand feet with nothing but a bed sheet.” He huffed and puffed and slid the mattress to me. I said, “I hope they let you keep the sheet.” “Get a job,” he said, “and maybe you could buy a spare set for when your old man visits.” I tried not to think about my father’s slobber while I blew into the nipple. “Hey,” my father asked, “Are you feeling light-headed?” “Do I look old enough to be wearing shorts designed by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar?” The mattress was a game of pong between us, a rubber lung receiving and releasing air with every pass. “True style never fades,” my father answered, adjusting his elastic waist and cotton headband. “Only sanity,” I said. My father blew and handed me the mattress, wet with arm-sweat. It was 110 degrees outside. “When I caught touchdowns back in college,” he said, “I did back flips in the end zone.” I bit the nipple with my teeth but air slipped out. I was in fact a little dizzy. I couldn’t catch my breath. “No, Dad, that was Uncle Skip.” And it was Skip, my father’s older brother, who went to Vietnam. My father was, it’s true, in the airborne division, but he jumped from helicopters, not planes, and never from more than a few hundred feet. He was too young for the draft, and the war was over by the time he’d joined the infantry. But Uncle Skip enlisted in his junior year, and no amount of back flips could land him back in Jersey. He died over enemy lines. “I’m high as a kite!” my father cried. His laughter came in bursts, his tired lungs intaking air before he had a chance to blow it out again. Crying, I let go of the mattress and it flew like a balloon around the room, and we waved our arms as if we could touch it. [End Page 12] Brian Phillip Whalen Brian Phillip Whalen is a doctoral candidate in Creative Writing at the University at Albany, NY. He received his MFA in Creative Writing from Iowa State University. His work most recently appears or is forthcoming in Blueline, The Chattahoochee Review, Chautauqua, Cutbank, the Newer York, PANK, and Rhino. Copyright © 2014 University of Wisconsin Board of Regents

Effect of Dietary Supplementation of Glutathione on Blood Biochemical Changes and Growth Performances of Holstein Calves

The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effect of dietary supplementation of glutathione (GSH) on health, solid feed consumption, nutrient intake, body weight gain (BWG), feed efficiency, blood metabolites and the occurrence of diarrhea in Holstein neonatal calves. The calves were fed plain milk as a control (CON) or milk with GSH supplementation. Sixteen calves were separated from their mothers immediately after birth, moved into individual cages and fed colostrum for the first three days. For GSH supplementation, three grams of GSH powder were mixed in 1.8 L of heat-treated milk and placed in a plastic bottle with a rubber nipple. The calves were fed GSH-supplemented milk only once out of four daily feedings. For the first 25 d, calves were fed 1.8 L of milk four times per day. Milk feeding frequency was reduced to three times per day from days 26 to 30, followed by twice a day from days 31 to 44, and once a day from days 45 to 49, after which they were weaned at day 50. Body weight gain (BWG), feed consumption, and growth performance were monitored until day 70. The dietary supplementation of GSH had no effect on daily feed intake and growth performance in growing calves. Hematological results revealed red blood cell distribution width (RDW) was lower, and mean corpuscular volume (MCV) was significantly higher in calves fed GSH. Serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) concentrations were lower in calves fed GSH. Rectal temperature at day 70 was higher in calves that did not receive GSH, while mean frequency of diarrhea and enteritis was less in calves fed GSH. It is concluded from the present study that BW gain, total dry matter intake (DMI), feed efficiency, and breathing rate did not differ between groups. However, there were some positive blood parameters and the mean frequency of diarrhea and enteritis was less in calves fed GSH compared to CON which did not receive GSH. With the results obtained, supplementation of GSH is highly recommended. (Key Words : Glutathione, Hematology, Neonatal Calves)

Saúde Pública: A Interferência de Crenças, Valores Sociais e Atitudes em Odontologia Preventiva para Bebês

With the objective of identify beliefs and values of mothers of early children, 282 women, who had kids aged from 0,5 to 4 yrs, were interviewed, with aid of a protocol research. Mother was informed about this research and invited to participate, anonymously and right to give-up at any time. The children aged between 6 months and 4 yr; 70% between 6 and 24 months. All the mothers had completed the high school, and approximately 95% had breast-fed, and 67% considered the mother milk was enough for the baby during the first 6 months. After weaning, 60% used long life milk; 80% didn’t use sweeten because children well accepted natural flavours; 20% thought of preventing cavity; 30% added cereal or chocolate flours; 70% used milk; 95% gave fruit juices, and 70% didn’t use sugar. Dummy had been used by 70%, as calming and to interrupt crying; 40% of children had used rubber nipple until 18 months, occasion in which 70% had abandoned. Extracted and filled teeth rating was 0.23, and the prevalence of cavity was 6.03%, similar to those reported in recent papers.

Wheezing Caused by Latex Allergy in a 25-Day-Old Infant with Atopic Dermatitis

We report a case of a 25-day-old male infant with episodic wheezing caused by latex allergy. Full-term male infant without anomaly was breast-fed for the first 7 days of life. Thereafter, he partly began bottle-feeding of conventional cow's-milk–based formula with a natural rubber nipple. At 14 days of life, the infant had noisy breathing upon bottle-feeding, but not upon breast-feeding. The mother switched the infant to a soy formula, which did not improve noisy breathing. The mother also used nipple composed of isoprene and natural rubber latex or nipple composed of silicone and natural rubber nipple, which was confirmed by manufacturer. The infant wheezed when fed with these nipples. Moreover, the infant had transient diarrhea and vomiting at 18 days of life, when the mother ate an apple and breastfed him thereafter. Skin eczema appeared on the face and trunk at 21 days of life. Thus, the mother took the infant to our clinic. On presentation, his lungs were clear, and no heart murmurs were heard. Neither radiograph of chest nor ultrasound scans of heart or neck revealed any abnormality. Detailed study revealed that the infant was allergic to latex, extracts from rubber nipples, and apple, while he was not allergic to egg, cow's milk, soy, wheat, peanut, house dust mite, dog dander or cat dander. Thereafter, the mother breast-fed the infant without eating an apple, while she partly fed him with cow's milk–based formula by using plastic spoon. By 4 months of age, he was free from noisy breathing or eczema.

From the Collection: "An Act of Flagrant Rebellion against Nature"

LONG BEFORE the invention of the india rubber nipple in 1845, women had a number of options when they chose to handraise, or artificially feed, their infants. These ranged from the expensive to the improvised. Various methods of artificial feeding had been known since classical times; one of the earliest and probably most popular types of feeders was an animal horn. Women cut a hole in the tip of the horn, over which a nipple of leather or parchment was placed. Hand-raising became popular in the eighteenth century and took a number of forms.' One of the more intriguing is the silver nursing nipple, an example of which is in the Winterthur collection (fig. 1). The significance of this object will be revealed through an exploration of the other nursing options available and the attitudes toward the use of these artificial feeders during the eighteenth and first half of the nineteenth centuries.

Wisconsin's "stale calf" issue and a study designed to resolve some of the animal welfare concerns.

A unique law (Act 201) requiring livestock markets to place an identifying mark on calves up to 90 kg each time they are sold went into effect in Wisconsin in 1993. The intent of the law is to reduce the number of times calves are resold and hence become "stale." The original proponents of the law proposed that calves be ear-notched each time they are sold. Ear notching, however, was resisted by Wisconsin regulatory agencies partly because of fear of an adverse public reaction. These authors then conducted a study to determine the approximate amount of discomfort experienced by young Holstein calves during ear notching. Six 2-mo-old Holstein calves were used to determine heart rate and behavioral responses to a standard "V" pig ear notcher (6 mm wide x 14 mm deep) applied between the tip and halfway down the dorsal edge of the left ear. Five other calves were given 30 s of access to a rubber nipple to provide a comparison to a desirable stimulus. Ear notching only elicited a mild startle response that lasted 1 to 2 s followed by resumption of normal behavior. The calves presented with the nipple suckled or butted the nipple for the full 30 s. The mean heart rate for the 30-s period in which treatments occurred was 95 +/- 4.8 bpm and 110 +/- 5.8 bpm for the notched and suckled calves, respectively, and was not influenced by treatments (P = .50).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Nipple Confusion

To the Editor.— The results of Cronenwett et al1 are interesting for the answers they provide and the questions they generate. Most striking in their discussion is the authors' dismissal of "nipple confusion" in light of the timing of their investigations into the effect of regular bottle-feedings for breast-feeding infants. I have observed that infants who are exposed to rubber nipples before they have learned how to effectively suckle the human breast2 seem to try to use the breast as if it were a rubber nipple.

Endoscopic balloon catheter removal of a rubber nipple causing complete duodenal obstruction

1. Ng WT, Wong MK, Kong CK. Laparoscopic approach to Meckel's diverticulum. Br J Surg 1992;79:973-4. 2. Cooney DR, Duszynski DO, Camboa E, Karp MP, Jewett TC Jr. The abdominal technetium scan (a decade of experience). J Pediatr Surg 1982;17:611-9. 3. Sfakianakis GN, Conway JJ. Detection ofectopic gastric mucosa in Meck.el's. div.erticulum and in other aberrations by scintigraphy: II. mdlCatlOns and methods-a lO-year experience. J Nucl Med 1981;22:732-8. 4. Schwartz MJ, Lewis JH. Meckel's diverticulum: pitfalls in scintigraphic detection in adults. Am J GastroenteroI1984·79:611-9. 5. Siddiqui A, Ryo UY, Pinsky SM. Arteriovenous malformation simulating Meckel's diverticulum on 99m-Tc-pertechnetate abdominal scintigraphy. Radiology 1977;122:173-4. 6. Dunn EK, Farman J, Teitcher J, Smith T. Ileal leiomyosarcoma and leiomyoma, false-positive scintiscans for Meckel's diverticulum. Clin Nucl Med 1987;12:440-4. 7. M.eh?ll .CJ, Klein RM, Muz J, Davis L. Intestinal neoplasm mlmlckmg a Meckel's diverticulum in scintigraphic imaging. Clin Nucl Med 1991;16:233-5. 8. Hertzog MS, Chacko AK, Pitts CM. Leiomyoma of terminal ileum producing a false-positive Meckel's scan. J Nucl Med 1985' 26:1278-82. ' 9. Ranchod M, Lewin KJ, Dorfman RF. Lymphoid hyperplasia of

Ingestion of CarcinogenicN-Nitrosamines by Infants and Children

Volatile N-nitrosamines are very potent carcinogens. They can be approximately 5 million times more powerful than saccharin. One of two principal methods is generally used when assaying rubber products for nitrosamine content: (1) the German method (aqueous extraction) or (2) the U.S. method (dichloromethane extraction). When 16 types of baby-bottle nipples and children's pacifiers were tested recently, relatively high levels of nitramines, nitrosamines, and nitrosatable precursors were found. Eighty-one percent failed to meet the strict Dutch standards (based on the German method), but only 37.5% would have been banned according to U.S. regulations, which ignore nitrosatable-precursor content. Up to one-third of the nitrosamines present in a rubber nipple may migrate into the milk in the bottle within a few hours. Transfer into infant formula may exceed 40%, and transfer into saliva may be even higher. Thus, a highly contaminated nipple may cause a 5-kg infant who drinks 1 l/d to ingest approximately 2 micrograms/kg body weight.d of nitrosamines. To this, add any exposure resulting from pacifier use or from in vivo nitrosation of precursors. Therefore, daily exposure of infants may, in the worst case, conceivably reach 4-5 micrograms/kg body weight.d. Entire average daily exposure of an American adult to volatile nitrosamines from major sources is estimated to be less than 0.05 micrograms/kg body weight.d. Infants who use products like those tested may, therefore, be exposed daily to less than or equal to 100 times more of these carcinogens than are adults.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Ankyloglossia: A Case Study in Which Clipping Was Not Necessary

Following the birth of a baby with a short frenulum, the mother experienced pain from the infant's first feeding that was severe and persistent, despite usually effective interventions. The pain forced the mother to pump her breastmilk and use a feeding bottle and rubber nipple despite her determination to breastfeed. Because the baby's tongue could not extend over the lower gumline, suckling injured all tissue the tongue touched--both the mother's nipples and areolae. Nevertheless, even though this baby's frenulum extended to the tip of the tongue, he was able to adapt his suckling movements to provide good areolar stimulation without persistent nipple damage. Infant growth was not compromised and no surgical intervention was necessary.

The Reproduction of Mothering in Charlotte's Web

The Reproduction of Mothering in Charlotte's Web Lucy Rollin (bio) Nancy Chodorow's signal study The Reproduction of Mothering (1978), taking its cue from psychoanalytic object relations theory, argues that in our culture girls' relationships with their mothers are more intense, ambivalent, and lingering than those with their fathers. Because she is nurtured by a parent of the same sex, a daughter retains her mother as primary object throughout adolescence and into adulthood. This helps perpetuate the division of labor in our society: although theoretically both girls and boys are psychologically capable of mothering, both having after all been mothered, only girls in fact do it. Hence the "reproduction" of mothering—its continuation from mother to daughter. Chodorow carefully distinguishes psychological processes of reproduction from role training or intentional socialization: In an industrial late capitalist society, "socialization" is a particularly psychological affair. . . . Whether or not men in particular or society at large—through media, income distribution, welfare policies, and schools—enforce women's mothering, and expect or require a woman to care for her child, they cannot require or force her to provide adequate parenting unless she, to some degree and on some unconscious or conscious level , has the capacity and sense of self as maternal to do so. [32-33] According to Chodorow, mothering in our culture is part of an economic system that contributes to sexual inequality and that relies above all on internalized gender distinctions. Part of the fascination of Charlotte's Web comes from its insertion of a male into the chain of mothering among the book's females. The novel offers an innovative picture of mothering that seems to belie internalized gender distinctions and to suggest that males are indeed as capable of mothering as females. Moreover, whereas Chodorow seems to slight the importance of physiology, Charlotte's Web [End Page 42] subtly allows physical mothering to share the focus with psychological mothering, enhancing the complexity of the depiction. Yet significant differences between male and female mothering, coupled with the pressure of gender stereotypes in the narrative, suggest a reading of the novel that supports Chodorow's assertions about mothering as a psychological activity of females. This reading also raises important questions about gender and mothering in our culture and about the influence of a work of literature—especially a work of children's literature—on our attitudes toward them.1 The first transmission of mothering appears in the opening pages of the book. Having saved the life of a runt piglet, whom she names Wilbur, Fern learns from her mother how to care for her new charge: Mrs. Arable found a baby's nursing bottle and a rubber nipple. She poured warm milk into the bottle, fitted the nipple over the top, and handed it to Fern. "Give him his breakfast," she said. A minute later, Fern was seated on the floor in the corner of the kitchen with her infant between her knees, teaching it to suck from the bottle. [5-7] There could hardly be a more graphic example of the reproduction of mothering than this. Here and in the following pages, Fern's relationship to Wilbur typifies the initial phase of the mutual involvement and identification between mother and child: they worship each other. Fern thinks it is a "blissful world" because she has "entire charge of a pig"; she gets up early in the morning to feed him and rushes home from school to fix another bottle for him, and when she watches him in the straw, "it relieved her mind to know that her baby would sleep covered up, and would stay warm" (9). For his part, Wilbur gazes at Fern "with adoring eyes" and follows her everywhere. Throughout this phase, feeding and touch are of the utmost importance in mothering. Both elements are essential for an infant's primary narcissism, which Wilbur experiences fully: "Every day was a happy day, and every night was peaceful" (11). But mothering relationships are essentially asymmetrical. As Chodorow notes, a child's relationship to its mother is exclusive, whereas a mother's to her child is informed by many other concerns. Fern must go to school, leaving Wilbur behind each day...

Oral activity and exploration in 1–2‐month‐old infants*

In order to study how information is processed through oral activity during infancy, its two main components, irregular mouthing (M) and non‐nutritive sucking (NNS), were investigated. It was hypothesized that if information is actually processed during M or NNS then it should subsequently be demonstrable in a recognition or a discrimination task.The first experiment tested this hypothesis through the use of cross‐modal transfer from oral touch to vision. Sixteen 1‐month‐old infants were first orally familiarized with a nubby or plain rubber nipple, and then tested for visual preference on corresponding shapes. Several results show that M rather than NNS involves information processing, but the amount of mouthing on such soft nipples was low and the links between M and subsequent preference were only marginally significant.A second experiment dealt with intra‐modal discrimination. Oral activity on hard nipples was video‐recorded in 24 2‐month‐old infants. During familiarization the amount of M decreased while the amount of NNS increased. The amount of M increased when a new oral shape was presented. Both experiments support the hypothesis that information about the stimulus is processed during mouthing rather than during NNS. Both approaches, cross‐modal and intra‐modal, are necessary to go beyond specific problems of transfer of information and adaptation of motor programmes.

Procidentia in the newborn

Complete uterine prolapse was noted shortly after birth in a female infant with a meningomyelocele at the level of the iliac crest with a palpable dimpled defect caudal to the primary lesion. The vagina and uterus were restored to their normal position with a rubber nipple placed into the vagina. The prolapse resolved on the sixth day of life after a repair of the meningomyelocele. Thus, conservative therapy with temporary support provides a satisfactory solution for newborn procidentia.

Gas Chromatographic-Thermal Energy Analysis Method for Determination of Volatile N-Nitrosamines in Baby Bottle Rubber Nipples: Collaborative Study

A collaborative study was conducted on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) dichloromethane extraction method for determining volatile N-nitrosamines in baby bottle rubber nipples. Following dichloromethane extraction, N-nitrosamines were determined by gas chromatography-thermal energy analysis. Six pairs of blind duplicate rubber nipple samples representing 6 lots were analyzed by 11 collaborating laboratories. All samples were portions taken from equilibrated composites of cut-up rubber nipples obtained from manufacturers in the United States. Recoveries of the internal standard (N-nitrosodipropylamine) at approximately 20 ppb ranged from 10 to 120%. Reproducibility relative standard deviations (RSDx) were between 35 and 45% for N-nitrosamine levels from 10 to 20 ppb. However, when data from laboratories with recoveries less than 75% were excluded (this is now specified in the method), RSDx values were between 11 and 32% for N-nitrosamine levels from 6 to 26 ppb. Values were consistent with or better than those reported for other analytical techniques designed to quantitate trace contaminants at the low ppb level, e.g., aflatoxin in foods. The method has been adopted official first action for the quantitation of volatile N-nitrosamines in baby bottle rubber nipples.