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Date: | Thu, 8 Jun 1995 01:46:59 -0400 |
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Becky,
I am not sure if you are talking about hypoplastic breasts, but it sounds like
it might be. The breast might look like it is only areola, is often cone
shaped, and has a narrow base (if you palpate the ribs under the breasts, you
will notice that the breast only covers 2 or 3 ribs.) There may also be
marked asymmetry - this is an important differential between small, normal
breasts and hypoplastic breasts. It is highly unusual for both hypoplastic
breasts to match. The rounded shape of the normal breast is produced by the
radial proliferation of the lobe structure, which influences the way that fat
is laid down, which provides the protective/supportive tissue for the glands
and ducts to develop in. Different ethnic groups have different typical
breast shapes, African women might normally have more conical breasts, so
beware of overdiagnosing this problem. With true hypoplasia the mom will get
drops or a fraction of an ounce. She might like to use a supplementer, to
allow her to feed at the breast and maximize the amount of her milk the baby
gets. You might like to share the observation from NICU's that fats in
formula are better digested when mixed with a few cc's of human milk.
A colleague has a really good photo of hypoplastic breasts. We are
talking about writing up some case reports, once I move.
Catherine Watson Genna, IBCLC
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