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A wet nurse is defined as a woman who exclusively breastfeeds and cares for her own biological child.
Answer: False
Explanation: The definition of a wet nurse pertains to a woman who breastfeeds and cares for the child of another individual, not exclusively her own biological offspring.
Lactation can only be initiated and sustained if a woman has recently given birth.
Answer: False
Explanation: Lactation can be induced and sustained through regular breast stimulation, a physiological process that can occur even in women who have not recently given birth.
Gabrielle Palmer theorized that women have a limited capacity for lactation, suggesting they could only nurse one child for a short period.
Answer: False
Explanation: Gabrielle Palmer's work suggests that women possess a significant capacity for lactation, potentially capable of nursing multiple children or sustaining lactation for extended periods, contrary to the notion of a limited capacity.
Before the 20th century, wet-nursing was considered a life-saving option primarily because infant formula was widely available.
Answer: False
Explanation: Before the 20th century, wet nursing was considered a life-saving option precisely because infant formula was *not* widely available, making it a crucial alternative when mothers could not breastfeed.
What is the primary definition of a wet nurse according to the provided text?
Answer: A woman who breastfeeds and cares for another's child.
Explanation: The fundamental definition of a wet nurse is a woman engaged to breastfeed and provide care for an infant that is not her biological offspring.
How can lactation be induced or sustained in women who have not recently given birth, according to the text?
Answer: Via regular breast stimulation triggering a neural reflex.
Explanation: Lactation can be initiated or maintained through consistent breast stimulation, which activates a neural reflex that promotes the production and secretion of prolactin.
Before the invention of infant formula, wet nursing was considered crucial primarily because:
Answer: It could be a life-saving option for infants whose mothers couldn't provide milk.
Explanation: In the absence of infant formula, wet nursing served as a critical, often life-saving, intervention for infants whose mothers were unable to breastfeed due to illness, death, or other incapacities.
Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a reason a mother might need a wet nurse?
Answer: The infant's preference for formula.
Explanation: Reasons for needing a wet nurse typically relate to the mother's inability or unwillingness to breastfeed, such as illness, medical treatment side effects, or social/aesthetic considerations. An infant's preference for formula is a modern consideration arising after formula's invention.
The practice of wet nursing is exclusively documented within ancient European societies.
Answer: False
Explanation: Historical and anthropological records indicate that wet nursing was a widespread practice across numerous global societies, not limited solely to ancient Europe.
In ancient Rome, wet nurses, known as *nutrices*, were typically high-ranking citizens.
Answer: False
Explanation: In ancient Rome, *nutrices* (wet nurses) were typically found among the household's slaves and freedwomen, rather than being high-ranking citizens.
Romans preferred Greek wet nurses because they believed it was a sign of wealth.
Answer: False
Explanation: Romans preferred Greek wet nurses primarily due to the belief that infants nursed by them would gain fluency in the Greek language, reflecting the cultural prestige of Greek education.
In France by the 18th century, approximately 90% of infants were wet-nursed, often living away from their mothers.
Answer: True
Explanation: Historical accounts suggest that by the 18th century in France, a substantial majority, estimated at around 90%, of infants were wet-nursed, frequently residing away from their maternal families.
By the 19th century in the US, wet nurses commonly lived separately from the families they served, leading to better care for the nurse's own children.
Answer: False
Explanation: In the 19th century US, the practice shifted towards wet nurses living within the employer's household. This arrangement often led to the neglect or poorer care of the wet nurse's own children.
In the Southern United States before the Civil War, enslaved Black women were rarely required to wet nurse the children of their enslavers.
Answer: False
Explanation: Enslaved Black women in the antebellum Southern United States were frequently compelled to wet nurse the children of their enslavers, a common and exploitative practice within the institution of slavery.
In Islam, *rada* refers to the practice of mothers sharing childcare duties, unrelated to breastfeeding.
Answer: False
Explanation: In Islamic jurisprudence, *rada* specifically denotes the system of relationships and legal implications arising from breastfeeding, establishing milk kinship.
In ancient Rome, the Digest of Roman law contained references to wage disputes concerning wet-nursing services.
Answer: True
Explanation: The Digest of Roman law, a compilation of legal opinions, indeed contains references to contractual and wage disputes related to wet-nursing services, indicating its professional status.
Which ancient Roman term referred to wet nurses?
Answer: *Nutrix* (singular) / *Nutrices* (plural)
Explanation: In ancient Rome, the term for a wet nurse was *nutrix* in the singular and *nutrices* in the plural.
What was the primary reason Romans preferred Greek wet nurses for their children?
Answer: They were thought to impart fluency in the Greek language.
Explanation: The preference for Greek wet nurses among Romans stemmed from the cultural value placed on the Greek language; it was believed that infants nursed by Greek women would acquire fluency in Greek.
How did the practice of wet nursing in the United States change by the 19th century?
Answer: Wet nurses began living within the employers' homes.
Explanation: By the 19th century in the United States, a significant shift occurred where wet nurses increasingly resided within the households of the families they served, moving away from the earlier practice of infants being sent to live elsewhere.
Within the context of slavery in the Southern United States, what role did enslaved Black women often play regarding their enslavers' children?
Answer: They were forced into wet nursing the children of their enslavers.
Explanation: Enslaved Black women in the antebellum Southern United States were frequently compelled to serve as wet nurses for the children of their enslavers, a practice deeply embedded within the oppressive system of slavery.
What does the term *rada* signify in Islam?
Answer: A system of relationships formed through breastfeeding (milk kinship).
Explanation: In Islamic tradition, *rada* refers to the legal and social system of milk kinship, establishing familial relationships through breastfeeding.
In ancient Rome, what was a common social status for women serving as wet nurses (*nutrices*)?
Answer: Slaves and freedwomen within households.
Explanation: Within ancient Roman society, women serving as wet nurses (*nutrices*) were predominantly drawn from the ranks of slaves and freedwomen employed within households.
The invention of reliable infant formula in the 20th century led to a significant increase in the practice of wet nursing.
Answer: False
Explanation: Conversely, the widespread availability and adoption of reliable infant formula in the 20th century contributed significantly to the decline of wet nursing, as it provided an alternative means of infant nutrition.
Up until the 19th century in the UK, the majority of infants sent to live with wet nurses survived infancy.
Answer: False
Explanation: Historical data indicates a high mortality rate for infants sent to wet nurses in the UK prior to the 19th century, with estimates suggesting up to 80% did not survive infancy.
The practice of "baby-farming" in the Victorian era involved caregivers providing excellent nutrition and care for infants.
Answer: False
Explanation: Baby-farming during the Victorian era was characterized by the practice of taking in infants for payment, often under conditions of neglect and inadequate nutrition, leading to high infant mortality rates.
The Bureau of Wet Nurses in Paris, established in 1769, aimed to increase infant neglect by allowing unregulated payments.
Answer: False
Explanation: The Bureau of Wet Nurses in Paris was established to regulate the practice, supply nurses, and control payments to mitigate infant neglect, not to increase it.
The 1874 French law named after Théophile Roussel required the registration of every infant placed with a paid guardian outside the parents' home.
Answer: True
Explanation: The Théophile Roussel law of 1874 mandated state registration for infants placed under the care of paid guardians outside their parental homes, facilitating official oversight.
The demand for wet nurses historically increased during times of low infant abandonment and maternal death rates.
Answer: False
Explanation: Historically, the demand for wet nurses tended to increase during periods of high infant abandonment and maternal mortality, as these circumstances created a greater need for alternative infant care.
Which factor is identified as the primary reason for the global decline of wet nursing in the 20th century?
Answer: The invention of reliable infant formula.
Explanation: The development and widespread availability of safe and reliable infant formula in the 20th century provided a viable alternative to breastfeeding and wet nursing, leading to a significant global decline in the latter practice.
What grim statistic is associated with infants sent to live with wet nurses in the UK up until the 19th century?
Answer: Up to 80% died during infancy.
Explanation: Infants entrusted to wet nurses in the UK prior to the 19th century faced extremely high mortality rates, with estimates indicating that as many as 80% did not survive infancy.
The practice of "baby-farming" in the Victorian era was characterized by:
Answer: Taking in babies for payment, often with poor care and high death rates.
Explanation: Baby-farming during the Victorian era was characterized by the practice of taking in infants for payment, often under conditions of neglect and inadequate nutrition, leading to high infant mortality rates.
What was the main function of the Bureau of Wet Nurses established in Paris in 1769?
Answer: To provide wet nurses and help control payments to reduce neglect.
Explanation: The Bureau of Wet Nurses, established in Paris in 1769, served a dual purpose: to supply wet nurses to families and to regulate payment structures, thereby aiming to reduce instances of infant neglect.
The 1874 French law, named after Théophile Roussel, primarily aimed to:
Answer: Mandate registration and state monitoring of infants placed with guardians.
Explanation: The Théophile Roussel law of 1874 introduced mandatory state registration and oversight for infants placed with paid guardians outside their homes, enhancing the state's ability to monitor child welfare.
Which of the following is cited as a significant risk associated with the continued practice of wet nursing in developing countries?
Answer: Transmission of infections, such as HIV, from wet nurse to infant.
Explanation: A significant risk associated with wet nursing in developing countries is the potential transmission of infectious diseases, including HIV, from the wet nurse to the infant.
What historical conditions increased the demand for wet nurses?
Answer: High rates of infant abandonment and maternal death.
Explanation: Periods marked by high rates of infant abandonment and maternal mortality historically correlated with an increased demand for wet nurses, as these circumstances created a greater need for alternative infant care.
What practice emerged in the Victorian era that sometimes led to high infant death rates due to poor care?
Answer: Baby-farming.
Explanation: Baby-farming, a practice prevalent in the Victorian era, involved caregivers taking in infants for payment under conditions that often resulted in poor care and elevated infant mortality rates.
Contemporary Western societies generally view the act of nursing another woman's baby with widespread acceptance and enthusiasm.
Answer: False
Explanation: Contemporary affluent Western societies often exhibit cultural discomfort and unease regarding the practice of nursing another woman's baby, influenced by various social and cultural factors.
Dr. Rhonda Shaw attributes Western objections to wet nursing solely to the potential transmission of diseases like HIV.
Answer: False
Explanation: Dr. Rhonda Shaw posits that Western objections are multifaceted, stemming from cultural discomfort with the exchange of bodily fluids and the conflation of the breast's sexual and nurturing functions, rather than solely disease transmission concerns.
In contemporary Western countries, using expressed breast milk from milk banks is considered an acceptable alternative when a mother cannot nurse her own infant.
Answer: True
Explanation: In modern Western societies, expressed breast milk obtained from regulated milk banks, alongside infant formula, is widely accepted as a viable alternative when direct maternal breastfeeding is not feasible.
How do contemporary affluent Western societies generally react to the idea of a woman nursing a baby that is not her own?
Answer: With cultural discomfort and unease.
Explanation: Contemporary affluent Western societies frequently exhibit cultural discomfort and unease regarding the practice of nursing a baby that is not one's own, reflecting complex social attitudes.
According to Dr. Rhonda Shaw, what key cultural factor contributes to Western discomfort with wet nursing?
Answer: Discomfort with the exchange of body fluids and the conflation of the breast's functions.
Explanation: Dr. Rhonda Shaw suggests that Western objections to wet nursing are rooted in cultural discomfort surrounding the exchange of bodily fluids and the complex cultural perceptions surrounding the breast's dual sexual and nurturing functions.
What alternatives to breastfeeding are commonly accepted in contemporary Western countries when a mother cannot nurse her own infant?
Answer: Expressed breast milk (from milk banks) or infant formula.
Explanation: Contemporary Western societies commonly accept expressed breast milk, often sourced from milk banks, and commercially prepared infant formula as suitable alternatives when a mother is unable to breastfeed her infant directly.
The "Aleksandrinke" archetype is strongly associated with Slovene women who worked primarily as teachers in Alexandria.
Answer: False
Explanation: The "Aleksandrinke" archetype refers to Slovene women who migrated to Alexandria, Egypt, and primarily worked as domestic servants, notably as wet nurses, not as teachers.
Maia was the wet nurse of the Egyptian pharaoh Hatshepsut.
Answer: False
Explanation: While Maia was a notable wet nurse in Ancient Egypt (for Tutankhamun), Sitre In was the wet nurse honored for her service to Hatshepsut.
Maham Anga served as a prominent wet nurse for the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan.
Answer: False
Explanation: Maham Anga was a prominent wet nurse and foster mother to Emperor Akbar, while Dai Anga served Shah Jahan.
Halimah bint Abi Dhuayb is recognized as the foster mother and wet nurse of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.
Answer: True
Explanation: Halimah bint Abi Dhuayb is historically recognized in Islamic tradition as the foster mother and wet nurse of the Prophet Muhammad.
Judith Waterford was known for her limited milk production, reportedly only producing half a quart daily.
Answer: False
Explanation: Judith Waterford was legendary for her prolific milk production, reportedly producing up to two quarts daily in her prime, and maintaining lactation late into life.
The "Aleksandrinke" archetype is associated with which group of women and their primary role in Alexandria?
Answer: Slovene women working as domestic servants, including wet nurses.
Explanation: The "Aleksandrinke" archetype refers to Slovene women who migrated to Alexandria and predominantly worked as domestic servants, with wet nursing being a significant role within this context.
Dai Anga is noted in the source for her role as a wet nurse to which prominent Mughal figure?
Answer: Shah Jahan
Explanation: Dai Anga served as a significant wet nurse and foster mother to the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan.
What legendary capacity did Judith Waterford possess regarding breast milk production?
Answer: She produced exceptionally large quantities of breast milk daily.
Explanation: Judith Waterford was renowned for her extraordinary milk production, reportedly yielding up to two quarts of breast milk daily during her prime.
Which mythological figure served as the wet nurse to Odysseus?
Answer: Eurycleia
Explanation: In Greek mythology, Eurycleia is recognized as the loyal nurse and wet nurse to the hero Odysseus.
Social and Economic Dimensions
Children nursed by the same wet nurse are referred to as "milk-siblings" and can form a relationship known as "milk kinship."
Answer: True
Explanation: The term "milk-siblings" is used for children who shared the same wet nurse, and the social or religious bond established through this shared experience is known as "milk kinship."
Upper-class women historically chose wet nursing primarily because it was significantly cheaper than hiring household staff.
Answer: False
Explanation: While cost could be a factor, upper-class women often chose wet nursing due to social conventions, concerns about maintaining their physical appearance, and the belief that it allowed them to resume childbearing sooner. It was not necessarily cheaper than other forms of household management.
In the 18th century United Kingdom, wet nursing was considered a poorly paid and disreputable occupation for working-class women.
Answer: False
Explanation: Contrary to this statement, in the 18th century UK, wet nursing was often a well-compensated and respected occupation for working-class women, frequently earning more than male laborers.
In China, Indonesia, and the Philippines, employing a wet nurse is typically seen as a sign of poverty.
Answer: False
Explanation: In China, Indonesia, and the Philippines, employing a wet nurse is often considered a symbol of high status, wealth, and aristocracy, rather than poverty.
What term describes children who were breastfed by the same wet nurse?
Answer: Milk-siblings
Explanation: Children who have been nursed by the same wet nurse are referred to as "milk-siblings," a term reflecting the familial bond established through shared lactation.
Why did upper-class women in some historical societies choose not to breastfeed their own children?
Answer: It interfered with fashion, affected their figures, and was sometimes less costly than managing domestic duties.
Explanation: Upper-class women often opted out of breastfeeding due to prevailing social norms that deemed it unfashionable, potentially altering their physique, and sometimes for pragmatic reasons related to managing household responsibilities or resuming childbearing.
In the 18th century United Kingdom, what was the general perception and economic status of wet nursing for working-class women?
Answer: A well-paid, respectable, and popular occupation.
Explanation: During the 18th century in the United Kingdom, wet nursing was often a lucrative and socially accepted occupation for working-class women, providing a stable income that frequently surpassed that of male laborers.
In which countries might employing a wet nurse be considered a symbol of high status and wealth?
Answer: China, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
Explanation: In nations such as China, Indonesia, and the Philippines, the employment of a wet nurse is often regarded as an indicator of elevated social standing, affluence, and aristocratic preference.