James Prescott is a developmental neuropsychologist and cross-cultural psychologist. For fifteen years he conducted research on origins of violence for the National Institute of Child Health & Human Development, NIH, and has given testimony on the origins of violence before the U.S. Congress; the Senate of Canada, and many other legislative and professional organizations.

It is also well known that sensory stimulation is like a nutrient and is essential for the normal growth, development and functioning of the brain. Substantial research spanning more than twenty-five years clearly demonstrates that sensory deprivation during the formative periods of brain development induces brain abnormalities of both structure and function (neurochemical and neuroelectrical activity). These sensory deprivation processes which involve the emotional senses of body touch, movement and smell have been well described in failed affectional bonding in the mother-infant/child relationship which results in infant, child and adult patterns of depression, impulse dyscontrol, violence and substance abuse.

One of the brain neurochemical transmitter substances-serotonin-has been shown to be significantly reduced under conditions of failed mother-infant affectional bonding. Other studies involving adult depressed and violent persons and criminals have clearly documented deficits of brain serotonin in these persons who have a history of suicidal and assaultive/homicidal behaviors. Unfortunately, these studies have not evaluated the extent of failed maternal-infant/child bonding in these depressed and violent adults and it has been assumed that the brain serotonin deficits found in thesesubjects was due to some genetic factor rather than to maternal-infant environmental factors.

This error of interpretation is compounded by the failure to realize that there is another neurobiological mechanism involved in the development of brain serotonin-tryptophan-a precursor amino acid essential for the development of brain serotonin which is richly present in colostrum and breastmilk but absent in formula milk. Thus, two distinct and different neurophysiological mechanisms have been identified that contributes to deficits in brain serotonin: a) failed physical affectional bonding in the maternal-infant/child relationship (sensory processes); and b) the amino acid tryptophan present in colostrum and breast milk but absent in formula milk (neurochemical processes).

Millions of years of mammalian evolutionary biology have naturally joined these two different psychophysiological processes in the act of breastfeeding where they are clearly mutually reinforcing for one another.