Newborn babies feed on themselves
BBC News / Nov 4, 2004
Babies survive the period immediately after birth by feeding on the content of their own cells, research suggests.
Right after birth babies face sudden and severe starvation as they have lost their nutrient supply from the placenta, but have yet to drink milk.
It appears they bridge the gap by breaking down cells, and releasing essential nutrients.
The study, by Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, is published in Nature.
