Coconut fragrance and cardiovascular response to laboratory stress: results of pilot testing.

There is preliminary evidence that pleasant fragrances may alter response to stressors in different settings. This pilot study examined the effect of coconut fragrance on cardiovascular response to standard laboratory stressors. While inhaling coconut fragrance (n = 17) or air (n = 15), subjects performed a Stroop color-word task and a mental arithmetic task.

Breast feeding, bottle feeding, and maternal autonomic responses to stress.

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the effects of breast feeding on autonomic nervous system (ANS) response to stressors.

Methods: Sympathetic and parasympathetic activities were examined before, during, and after standard laboratory stressors in women who were either exclusively breast feeding (n=14) or nonexclusively breast feeding (n=14), and in non-postpartum controls (n=15).

Results: Mothers who breast fed exclusively showed greater levels of parasympathetic cardiac modulation and slower heart rate (HR) throughout the session and less HR increase and preejection period (PEP) shortening to mental arithmetic (MA) than did nonexclusive breast feeders and controls.

Breastfeeding and maternal stress response and health.

This article reviews findings on the maternal stress and health effects of lactation. Several significant associations have emerged. Compared with not breastfeeding, breastfeeding is associated with increased parasympathetic nervous system modulation, greater vascular stress response, lower perceived stress levels, and fewer depressive symptoms.

Lactation and weaning effects on physiological and behavioral response to stressors.

Two experiments tested the effects of lactation and weaning on heart rate (HR), corticosterone, and behavioral responses to stress in Wistar rats. In Experiment 1, HRs in lactating, weaning, and control animals were recorded for 10-min periods before, during, and after immobilization stress. Compared with control animals, lactating and weaning animals showed a diminished initial HR response.

Breast-feeding and maternal health in online mothers.

Self-reports of mothers currently breast-feeding (n = 561) and mothers who had breast-fed in the past (n = 452) were compared for perceived stress, self-reports of upper respiratory infection symptoms, and physician visits for psychological illnesses. Possible demographic confounds were controlled statistically. In analyses examining breast-feeding status as a dichotomous variable (current vs.