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Maternal predictors of early breast milk output
Author(s) -
Ingram JC,
Woolridge MW,
Greenwood RJ,
McGrath L
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
acta pædiatrica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1651-2227
pISSN - 0803-5253
DOI - 10.1111/j.1651-2227.1999.tb00164.x
Subject(s) - medicine , prolactin , parity (physics) , hormone , breast milk , pregnancy , obstetrics , endocrinology , physiology , biology , biochemistry , physics , genetics , particle physics
Previous attempts to show a quantitative relationship between maternal hormone levels and early milk output have used small sample sizes and simple correlations. Women of mixed parity and similar socio‐economic status and education were recruited to a study using multivariate analysis to look for these associations. Hormone levels (oestradiol, progesterone, prolactin and thyrotropin (TSH)) were determined for 91 mothers at four time points (ante‐ and postnatally) from finger‐prick blood spots by fluoro‐immunoassay. Milk output at 1 and 4 weeks was determined from 24‐h test weighings. Parity was found to be the most significant factor affecting breast milk volume at 1 wk postpartum (multiparous women delivered 142 ml more milk in 24 h than primiparous women). Total time spent feeding had a strong association with breast milk volume, with increasing time having a negative effect. Multiple regression analysis, controlling for parity and time spent feeding, showed a positive association of milk output at 1 wk with antenatal progesterone and antenatal prolactin levels. At 4 wk, higher postpartum oestradiol levels had a negative association and antenatal progesterone levels a positive association with milk output. This study demonstrates that there are quantitative associations between antenatal maternal hormone levels and breast milk output in the early postnatal period. □ Breast milk output, oestradiol, parity, progesterone, prolactin