Presentation Information

A Concert of Hormones: The Biology of the Mammary Gland and Regulation of Milk Production

• Speaker: Anna Sadovnikova , PhD, IBCLC, MPH, MA
• Presentation Type:
• Duration: 60 Mins
• Credits: 1 CERP, 1 Nursing CEU, 1 CME, 0.1 Midwifery CEU, 1 Dietetic CEU

Abstract:

Successful lactation requires that a concert of hormones carefully coordinate mammary development starting from embryogenesis through puberty, pregnancy, and postpartum. Chronic health conditions, like obesity and diabetes, perturb the hormonal milieu and increase the risk of lactation difficulties. Historically, livestock animals and rodents were used to understand hormonal regulation of milk production. In recent years, there has been an increasing effort to determine the pathophysiologic mechanisms underlying low milk supply among postpartum parents with metabolic dysregulation. In this talk, recently published translational animal studies and human clinical research will be used to shed light on the mechanism by which stress, obesity, and insulin resistance affect human milk production.