Prematurity and Steroid Treatments Make Mom's Milk Come in Later

Prematurity and Steroid Treatments Make Mom’s Milk Come in Later

Saturday, January 12, 2008 15:09

Posted in category High Risk OB

Mother’s of preemies are usually encouraged to pump their breast milk, so it can be given to their babies by feeding tube or bottle before they are mature enough to breastfeed on their own. Even women who were planning to formula feed are asked to consider pumping initially because their milk is “like medicine” for their babies. Despite the benefits, many women are left without adequate support, and end up giving up soon after delivery because they get very little milk at each pumping session.

A new study shows that when mothers deliver extremely preterm, their milk “comes in later”, an event known in medical terms as lactogenesis II. Mothers who were treated with steroids 3-9 days before delivery had an even greater delay in milk production.

I found this study interesting, because when my own daughter was born, I asked the lactation consultant if my milk might come in later because of my daughters premature birth, and she assured me this wasn’t the case. Thankfully, my milk production was plentiful, but if it hadn’t been, I may have been lead to believe that their was something wrong with my milk supply, and quit pumping because of her comments.

Considering the known benefits of breast milk for premature babies, it’s obviously important that lactation consultants are fully educated in this issue, and provide proper information and support to women who are pumping after a preterm delivery.

Reference: J Henderson, P Hartmann, J Newnham and K Simmer. Effect of Preterm Birth and Antenatal Corticosteroid Treatment on Lactogenesis II in Women. Pediatrics. Vol. 121 No. 1, pp. e92-e100.