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Published Online: 5 January 2022

The Trajectory of Expressed Colostrum Volume in the First 48 Hours Postpartum: An Observational Study

Publication: Breastfeeding Medicine
Volume 17, Issue Number 1

Abstract

Objective: Colostrum, the first form of human milk, is strongly encouraged for infants due to its benefits. During the early postpartum (PP) period, the secreted colostrum volume can be minimal, causing concerns among mothers about sufficient milk supply. Few studies have examined temporal changes in the colostrum. This study aimed to elucidate the trajectory of expressed colostrum volume in the first 48 hours after delivery.
Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional observational study performed at Kagawa National Children's Hospital. One hundred five mothers who did not directly breastfeed in the first 48 hours after delivery were enrolled in the study. Well-trained midwives instructed the mothers on how to express human milk, and mothers started to express as soon as possible after delivery. Mothers were advised to express human milk every 3 hours, and the milk volume was measured.
Results: Within 3 hours PP, 60% of mothers expressed milk, and the median frequency of expression was 14 (interquartile range, 11–16) times in the first 48 hours. At 0–3 and 3–6 hours PP, the volume of initially expressed milk was 0.4 (0.0–2.0) mL and 1.0 (0.0–6.0) mL, respectively. Subsequently, milk volume decreased. The volume remained low until 30 hours PP and increased dramatically; this phenomenon is termed secretory activation, which began later in primiparous women than in multiparous women.
Conclusion: The decline in expressed milk volume during the early PP period caused concern among mothers. Therefore, mothers should be informed of the PP trajectory of human milk volume.

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Published In

cover image Breastfeeding Medicine
Breastfeeding Medicine
Volume 17Issue Number 1January 2022
Pages: 52 - 58
PubMed: 34529518

History

Published online: 5 January 2022
Published in print: January 2022
Published ahead of print: 16 September 2021

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Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Kagawa, Japan.
Kimiyo Horike
Department of Pediatrics, National Kagawa Children's Hospital, Zentsuji, Japan.
Present address: Shikoku Medical Center for Children and Adults, Kagawa, Japan.
Kou Kawada
Department of Pediatrics, National Kagawa Children's Hospital, Zentsuji, Japan.
Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Setsunan University, Osaka, Japan.
Yinmon Htun
Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Kagawa, Japan.
Tomoko Nishida
Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Kagawa, Japan.
Shinji Nakamura
Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Kagawa, Japan.
Kosuke Koyano
Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Kagawa, Japan.
Yukihiko Konishi
Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Kagawa, Japan.
Takashi Kusaka
Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Kagawa, Japan.

Notes

Address correspondence to: Ikuko Kato, MD, PhD, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, 1750-1 Ikenobe, Miki-cho, Kita-gun, Kagawa 761-0793, Japan [email protected]

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No competing financial interests exist.

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No funding was received for this article.

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