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Why prolactin and oxytocin in breastfeeding are considered to be triggered by a neural response

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Prolactin and oxytocin are hormones that are involved in breastfeeding. Prolactin is responsible for milk production, while oxytocin is responsible for milk ejection, or the let-down reflex. These hormones are released in response to neural signals that are triggered by the act of breastfeeding.

When a baby latches onto the breast and begins to suckle, nerve impulses from the nipple are transmitted to the hypothalamus in the brain. The hypothalamus then sends signals to the pituitary gland to release prolactin and oxytocin into the bloodstream. Prolactin stimulates the milk glands in the breast to produce milk, while oxytocin causes the muscles surrounding the milk ducts to contract and push the milk out of the breast.

This neural response is triggered by the stimulation of sensory receptors in the nipple, which send signals to the brain via the nervous system. The release of prolactin and oxytocin is not under conscious control but is instead an automatic response to the act of breastfeeding.

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