| Areolar glands | |
|---|---|
 The small bumps surrounding the nipple are areolar glands. | |
| Details | |
| Function | Lubricate nipple, promote breastfeeding |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | glandulae areolares |
| TA98 | A16.0.02.013 |
| TA2 | 7107 |
| FMA | 58090 |
| Anatomical terminology | |
Areolar glands, also known as glandulae areolares, Montgomery glands, and tubercula areolae, are 10-15 elevations found on the areola. They are usually arranged in a circle around the nipple, and can be particularly visible when the nipple is erect. Their role is to promote adequate breastfeeding of the infant.
They are sebaceous glands, which secrete sebum oil that is a free fatty acid onto the skin that lubricates the nipple when breastfeeding, protects the skin, and provides some air tightness between the infant's mouth and the nipple.[citation needed] They also emit odor compounds into the air that attract babies.[1]
In addition, a study of 121 white mothers found that higher numbers of areolar glands on the breasts (commonly known as AG number) was correlated with infants gaining weight faster and lactation beginning faster.[2]
A meta-analysis shows that odor compounds emitted from lactating breasts reduced arousal states in active newborns, increases arousal states in sleepy newborns, and causes babies to turn their heads towards the breast, though the source of these effects were not strongly identified. A targeted study of 16 infants based on these observations has shown that these effects can be induced experimentally through a researcher directing a baby with areolar gland scent on a stick. Additionally, areolar gland scents cause these effects more strongly than milk or sebum odors.[1]
- ^ a b Doucet S, Soussignan R, Sagot P, Schaal B (October 2009). "The secretion of areolar (Montgomery's) glands from lactating women elicits selective, unconditional responses in neonates". PLOS ONE. 4 (10): Ş. Bibcode:2009PLoSO...4.7579D. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0007579. PMC 2761488. PMID 19851461.
- ^ Doucet S, Soussignan R, Sagot P, Schaal B (February 2012). "An overlooked aspect of the human breast: areolar glands in relation with breastfeeding pattern, neonatal weight gain, and the dynamics of lactation". Early Human Development. 88 (2): 119–128. doi:10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2011.07.020. PMID 21852053.