>FYI: MY son found this and sent it to me.

>Stressful labor affects lactation
>August 10, 1998
>NEW YORK (Reuters) -- Women who have given birth for the first time, and
>those who have had particularly long and stressful labors, tend to take
>longer to produce milk for their newborns, according to a study.
>The findings suggest that these women may benefit from additional advice or
>assistance -- from lactation experts, for example -- when they begin nursing
>their infants, conclude researchers.
>Numerous studies have found that nursing is beneficial for both babies and
>mothers. Infants can digest and use the nutrients in breast milk more easily
>than those in cow's milk, for instance, and breast milk contains antibodies
>that help protect newborns from infections. Breast feeding is also
>associated with a lower risk of breast cancer.
>Some previous research has suggested that stress may interfere with milk
>production and nursing, note the researchers, Dr. Dorothy C. Chen and
>colleagues at the University of California at Davis.
>To further investigate how stress during delivery affects lactation and
>nursing, the researchers studied 40 expectant mothers. To determine stress
>levels, the researchers measured stress hormones in the mothers' blood
>during labor and delivery, and in the umbilical cords of the newborns. They
>also measured blood glucose concentration in the newborns -- high levels of
>glucose can indicate stress in a baby. The researchers also analyzed milk
>samples, and kept track of how often and how long mothers breast fed during
>the two weeks following delivery.
>Women having their first baby took longer to produce milk than women who had
>already had a child, the researchers found. So did women who had long or
>stressful labors, and those whose infants had high glucose levels in their
>umbilical cords, they report in the current issue of the American Journal of
>Clinical Nutrition.
>"We recommend that mothers who are at high risk because of the events that
>occur during childbirth be targeted for extra breast-feeding guidance and
>follow-up during the early postpartum period because education and
>intervention have been shown to improve breast-feeding success," Chen and
>colleagues conclude.
>SOURCE: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1998;68:335-344.
>Copyright 1998 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or
>redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited without the prior
>written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or
>delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon.
>
>
Patti Carroll, RN, IBCLC
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