In human development the ingestion of food has significance far beyond its obvious dietary role. Following birth the mother’s nipple replaces the umbilical cord as the source of nutrients for the infant, and it is also a point of continued physical contact between mother and child. Proximity to a parent’s body also meets emotional attachment needs that are as basic to the child as is the need for physical sustenance. When infants are anxious or upset, they are offered a human or a plastic nipple—in other words, a relationship with either a natural nurturing object or something that closely
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