>In the course I took on maternal-child nutrition in 1979 at University of
>Washington, our teacher, Bonnie Worthington, said that only 20% of the milk
>drunk at a meal was actually in the breast already and the rest was
>synthesized during suckling and drunk as it was produced.
>
>I can't find this statement in the textbook for the course, though it may be
>there. Anyone else heard this and if so can you tell me where I can find
>it?
>
>Almost nothing I learned in that course has been changed, though much has
>been added. So I think the statement is likely to be true, but I would like
>to find the source.
>
>Rachel Myr
>Sleepless in Kristiansand, Norway
Well, Rachel, I think this might be something that *has* changed. ;-)
Peter Hartmann's department's research over the last few years has
shown that milk synthesis rate in each individual breast is directly
related to the degree of emptiness of that breast - ie the rate is
fastest after the baby has finished a feed that takes nearly all
available milk (baby probably *never* takes *all* available milk).
Most feeds they leave quite a lot and synthesis rate varies
accordingly.
See JHL articles for more details:
Daly SEJ & Hartmann PE, 1995, Infant Demand and Milk Supply. Part 1:
Infant Demand and Milk Production in Lactating Women, J Hum Lact
11(1): 21-26
Daly SEJ & Hartmann PE, 1995, Infant Demand and Milk Supply. Part 2:
The Short-Term Control of Milk Synthesis in Lactating Women, J Hum
Lact 11(1): 27-37
Cregan MD & Hartmann PE, 1999, Computerized breast measurement from
conception to weaning: Clinical implications, J Hum Lact 15(2): 89-96
Recent studies (not published yet, I don't think) have demonstrated
that blood flow to the breast is *decreased* while baby is attached
and feeding, which indicates *slowing* of synthesis of new milk
during a feed.
So the age-old wisdom of short, frequent feeds to build up supply is
confirmed beautifully by the evidence from research. This pattern is
better, according these findings, than a few very long or continuous
feeds.
Joy (in Perth, where summer just doesn't want to let go!)
******************************************************************
Joy Anderson B.Sc. Dip.Ed. Grad.Dip.Med.Tech. IBCLC
Nursing Mothers' Association of Australia breastfeeding counsellor
Perth, Western Australia. mailto:[log in to unmask]
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