The behavioral interaction between infant mammals and their mothers associated with attachment to the nipple and ingestion of milk. In non-human animals, suckling conventionally refers to the behavior of the infant, whereas nursing refers to the behavior of the mother. With reference to humans, the terms often are reversed, with nursing referring to the infant’s behavior and suckling to the mother. The neural pathways that mediate the stimulation of human suckling that results in increasing circulating oxytocin and prolactin are illustrated in the figure below.
The release of oxytocin and prolactin as a result of the suckling infant stimulating central nervous system areas in the mother.
See Hypothalamus, Oxytocin, Montgomery’s areolar glands, Pituitary gland, Prolactin, Rooting response