Induced lactation

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Induced lactation is the deliberate induction of milk production ( lactation ) without a previous pregnancy . From relactation one speaks in women who milk flow after a break of breastfeeding want to get back on track. In principle, the formation of breast milk can be induced in any woman regardless of pregnancy and lactation can even be induced in men. A pregnancy (possibly years) in the past facilitates induction, but is not necessary. The woman may also be past menopause , be sterilized , or have had a hysterectomy . Targeted induction is usually used to breastfeed an adopted child and is then called adoptive breastfeeding . Occasionally the induction of milk production also takes place for erotic reasons; see erotic lactation .

The spontaneously occurring galactorrhea must be distinguished from induced lactation .

Action

Various external factors help to increase the level of prolactin in the blood and thus stimulate milk production. In principle, regularly repeated mechanical stimulation of the nipples is sufficient to get the milk flowing. The most effective suction / wringing movements, such as those performed by an infant when breastfeeding. The second most effective is a hand massage, using " milking " movements that mimic the suckling of the infant. Only the third most effective method is the use of a breast pump . The stimulation should take place at least six times a day for at least 10 to a maximum of 30 minutes each time. Depending on the system and external circumstances, the first real drops of milk can be reached after 6 days to 6 weeks.

To avoid the rather time-consuming manual process, many women resort to medical help, at least for the first few months. As a rule, comes dopamine - antagonist domperidone used. Domperidone does not cross the blood-brain barrier , only passes into the milk in very small quantities and has surprisingly few side effects. However, at least in Germany, domperidone is not approved to induce milk production. Internationally, the use of domperidone for milk production is hotly debated, as this drug is very effective for this purpose on the one hand, but on the other hand a death was reported at very high intravenous doses during chemotherapy. In contrast, according to Newman and Schöbl, only 10–20 mg are used three to four times a day for 3–8 weeks to induce milk production. The majority of women respond within three to four days at this dose, some within 24 hours, and others within two to three weeks.

Indications

The main reasons ( indications ) for induced lactation are:

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. Roland Schöbl: Erotic Lactation, Denkholz 2007, ISBN 978-3-9811894-1-4 .
  2. ^ Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine: ABM Protocols
  3. Dr. Jack Newman, MD, FRCPC; Teresa Pitman, "The Ultimate Breastfeeding Book of Answers," Prima Publishing, Roseville CA, 2000, pp. 86-89.
  4. A study carried out by Jenny Chang-Claude from the German Cancer Research Center in collaboration with the Universities of Heidelberg, Freiburg and Kiel demonstrated the risk-reducing effects of lactation (Chang-Claude, J., et al., Breastfeeding and breast cancer risk by age 50 among women in Germany. Cancer, Causes & Control, Vol. 11, pp. 687-695). In this study 706 breast cancer patients and 1,381 healthy control persons were examined. With a total lactation time of 7 to 12 months, the risk of breast cancer in the women examined decreased by 14%. With a lactation period of 13 to 24 months, the risk even decreased by 42%. The risk reduction was more evident in women older than 25 years than in younger cohorts. In a US study by Alison M. Stuebe, which was published in the journal "Archives of Internal Medicine" in 2009, the relationship between lactation and the occurrence of breast cancer was examined. For this purpose, the data from 60,075 women were evaluated. It was found that women who had previously breastfed had a 25 percent lower risk of the disease than women who had not given their babies a breast. Women at risk for familial breast cancer may benefit even more from breast feeding. You reduced your risk of illness by up to 59 percent.