Mammary Hypoplasia: Not Every Breast Can Produce Sufficient Milk

Breast milk is considered the optimal form of nutrition for newborn infants. Current recommendations are to breastfeed for 6 months. Not all women are able to breastfeed. Mammary hypoplasia is a primary cause of failed lactogenesis II, whereby the mother is unable to produce an adequate milk volume. Women with mammary hypoplasia often have normal hormone levels and innervation but lack sufficient glandular tissue to produce an adequate milk supply to sustain their infant. The etiology of this rare condition is unclear, although there are theories that refer to genetic predisposition and estrogenic environmental exposures in select agricultural environments. Women with mammary hypoplasia may not exhibit the typical breast changes associated with pregnancy and may fail to lactate postpartum. Breasts of women with mammary hypoplasia may be widely spaced (1.5 inches or greater), asymmetric, or tuberous in nature. Awareness of the history and clinical signs of mammary hypoplasia during the prenatal period and immediate postpartum increases the likelihood that women will receive the needed education and physical and emotional support and encouragement. Several medications and herbs demonstrate some efficacy in increasing breast milk production in women with mammary hypoplasia.     

Growth and Development of a Hospital-based Lactation Program and Mother's Own Milk Bank

This article describes the development and characteristics of a hospital-based lactation program and mother's own milk bank in a large pediatric hospital in the southwestern United States. Professional and technical staffing, physical space of the milk bank area, and the program's services and special features are outlined. Quality control issues about human milk preparation, fortification, storage, and transport are discussed.     

Breastfeeding Twins and Higher-order Multiples

The benefits of breastfeeding for pre-term and full-term infants are well documented. Breastfeeding facilitates maternal-infant attachment, provides optimal infant nutrition and immunologic protection, and minimizes economic impact. These benefits are multiplied with twins and higher-order multiples, who often are born at risk. Supporting a mother as she initiates and continues to breastfeed one infant requires specific knowledge and skills. Health professionals need additional knowledge and skills if they are to provide appropriate assessment, intervention, and support when a mother breastfeeds twins or higher-order multiples.     

Evidence-based nursing: making changes in the clinical practice through the collaboration of nursing students and practicing nurses

The collaboration between student nurses and practicing clinical nurses on an evidence-based project is described. This collaboration sought to answer a question pertinent to the needs of the clinical nurses, while providing the students with an excellent practical learning opportunity. The changes in both knowledge and practice resulting from this partnership are described.