Lactation

• Lactation is the production and secretion of milk by maternal mammary glands following birth
• Lactation is predominantly controlled and regulated by two key hormones: oxytocin and prolactin
• Prolactin:

  • Responsible for the development of the mammary glands and the production of milk
  • Secreted by the anterior pituitary in response to the release of PRH (prolactin releasing hormone) from the hypothalamus
  • Effects inhibited by progesterone, preventing milk production before birth
• Oxytocin:

  • Responsible for the release of milk from the mammary glands (milk ejection reflex)
  • Produced in the hypothalamus and secreted by neurosecretory cells in the posterior pituitary
  • Release triggered by stimulation of sensory receptors in the breast tissue by the suckling infant
  • Creates a positive feedback loop resulting in continuous oxytocin secretion until the infant stops feeding
• Hormonal Regulation of Breastfeeding involves the coordinated action of prolactin and oxytocin to ensure successful lactation