title: Maternal predictors of early breast milk output.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Child Health, University of Bristol, St. Michael's Hill, UK.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Ingram
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Woolridge
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Greenwood
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: McGrath
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001942:Breast Feeding; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007774:Lactation / Q000502:physiology*; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000378:metabolism*; D009035:Mothers; D049590:Postpartum Period / Q000502:physiology; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood; D011388:Prolactin / Q000097:blood; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol; D011388:Prolactin; D013972:Thyrotropin