Premium
Storage capacity of the human breast
Author(s) -
Kent Jacqueline Coral,
Williams Tracey,
Sakalidis Vanessa,
Hartmann Peter E,
Lai Ching Tat
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.26.1_supplement.806.4
Subject(s) - breastfeeding , lactation , medicine , breast milk , milk production , breast feeding , obstetrics , zoology , pediatrics , pregnancy , chemistry , biology , biochemistry , genetics
Lactating breasts can increase their capacity to produce milk to meet the demand of the infants. The breast milk storage capacity (SC) is related to milk production (MP) in term mothers in established lactation. This study investigates the SC and MP in early lactation of preterm and term mothers. Nineteen breast expressing preterm and sixteen breastfeeding mothers collected milk samples and measured their milk production by either weighing the bottle with an electronic kitchen scale or the baby with BabyWeigh scales (Medela AG) at home before and after each breastfeed or breast expression over a 24‐h period between days 10 and 43 postpartum. The 24‐h MP and SC were calculated (Kent et al. , 2003).24‐h Milk production (ml) (mean±SD) Breast milk storage capacity (ml) (mean±SD)Left Right Left RightPreterm 398 ± 182 388 ± 198 142 ± 56 133 ± 68 Term 382 ± 142 431 ± 122 170 ± 66 174 ± 44Mean MP and SC were not significantly different between breasts or between preterm and term mothers. The SC of both preterm and term mothers was positively related (p=0.0001) to the MP of their breasts. Despite premature delivery, SC and MP of preterm mothers’ breasts can reach to similar level as the term mothers’ breasts. Research Support: Medela AG, Switzerland .