Weaning

By: Alternix

Weaning in Humans

Premastication is a practice in some cultures where parents prechew food for their infants, providing a better protein source and preventing iron deficiency.
Premasticated food from caregivers of lower socioeconomic status in areas with endemic diseases can transmit the disease to the child.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of a baby's life.
Many mothers find breastfeeding challenging, especially if they have to return to work soon after giving birth.
The American Academy of Pediatrics, World Health Organization, National Health Service Choices UK, and National Health & Medical Research Council in Australia recommend introducing baby food at six months.

Weaning conflict arises when the mother tries to stop nursing while the infant wants to continue.
From an evolutionary perspective, the cost of continued nursing to the mother may exceed the benefits to the current infant.
Weaning conflict has been studied in various mammal species, including primates and canines.

There are significant individual and cultural variations in the age of weaning.
The natural age of weaning in humans ranges from 2.5 to 7 years, depending on different biological measures of maturity.
Psychological factors may also influence the weaning process, with older children often self-weaning.
In pre-war Japanese society, children were usually not weaned until a new sibling arrived.
Weaning in mice is typically recommended at three to four weeks after birth.

Laboratory mice are weaned when they are transferred out of the mother's cage, usually at three to four weeks old.
Special puppy or kitten foods are available for pet carnivores like dogs and cats, or they can be fed small pieces of the same homemade pet food as the parent animals.

Dairy calves in the United States are weaned at around 7 weeks of age, while beef calves are usually weaned between 8 and 10 months.
Before weaning, the calf must have a fully functioning rumen.
Different methods of weaning are used for beef cattle, including traditional separation, two-step weaning with a nose ring, and fenceline weaning.
The choice of weaning method depends on factors such as farm management, feed availability, and the age and condition of the cow.
Results and stress levels of calves vary between farms, and research on weaning methods is ongoing.

Reference	URL
Glossary	https://www.alternix.com/blogs/glossary-of-terms/weaning
Wikipedia	http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weaning
Wikidata	https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q333203
Knowledge Graph	https://www.google.com/search?kgmid=/m/03gq2q9