All of the above – weaning, the birth of a new baby, temporary separation – upsetting as they may be at the time, are as nothing when compared with the death of the mother, the final and irrevocable breaking of the bond. Infants who are less than three years old and still quite dependent on their mother’s milk will, of course, be unable to survive. But even youngsters who are nutritionally independent may become so depressed that they pine away and die.
