werner@aecom.YU.EDU (Craig Werner) (02/20/88)
In article <1948@ttidca.TTI.COM>, hollombe@ttidca.TTI.COM (The Polymath) writes: > > I seemed to have missed the referenced article. However, I have to agree > that Craig is wrong on this one (someone note the date (-: ). The La > Leche League (a breast-feeding advocacy organization) is quite positive on > the subject and routinely asks if the father would like to breast-feed in > cases where the mother can't or won't. Though it usually requires hormone > injections to set the machinery in motion, there's no anatomical reason to > prevent most men from breast-feeding. Men (or should I say almost all men) lack the secondary ductal system necessary for milk delivery, even though they have some lobular tissue which is capable of producing milk. However, I concede that given enough estrogens, the ducts may be encouraged to branch somewhat, and the lobular tissue made to proliferate. I am not sure that this is enough to support nursing in all males (although we do have that one reported case from 1799, take it as you will). Note, well however, that this proliferation is somewhat irreversible, just as puberty is in females. Furthermore, the hormone levels necessary to do this are enough to cause impotence (which IS reversible). The proliferation of male breast tissue, called Gynecomastia, is instead generally seen in the medical context as a painful, embarrasing medical problem, not as a joyous occurrence. Gynecomastia is seen, among other times, with cirrhosis of the liver (the liver breaks down estrogen), with obesity (fat cells convert androgens to estrogens), and with chronic marijuana use (reason unknown). -- Craig Werner (future MD/PhD, 3 years down, 4 to go) werner@aecom.YU.EDU -- Albert Einstein College of Medicine (1935-14E Eastchester Rd., Bronx NY 10461, 212-931-2517) "I refuse to do mental battle with an unarmed opponent."