Effect of pre-eclampsia on lactogenesis: Breastfeeding and the effect of breastfeeding on women's postpartum blood pressure

Anna Kokravili 1, Maria-Eleni Dafnou 2, Angeliki Bolou 3 and Kleanthi Gourounti 4, *

1 Department of Obstetrics, School of Health and Welfare Sciences, University of Western Attica, Athens, Greece.
2 Midwife in delivery room, General and Maternity Hospital, Helena Venizelou, Athens, Greece.
3 Faculty of Education, Health and Human SciencesSchool of Health Sciences, Institute for Lifecourse Development, Centre for Chronic Illness and Ageing, University of Greenwich, London, UK.
4 Department of Obstetrics, School of Health and Welfare Sciences, Head of Midwifery Department, University of West Attica, Athens, Greece.
 
Research Article
World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 2024, 22(01), 906–911
Article DOI: 10.30574/wjarr.2024.22.1.1151
 
Publication history: 
Received on 04 March 2024; revised on 12 April 2024; accepted on 15 April 2024
 
Abstract: 
Preeclampsia is a serious complication of pregnancy, affecting 3 to 8% of all pregnancies and endangering both the pregnant woman and the fetus. The predominant etiological origin of preeclampsia has been shown to result from abnormal placentation, leading to abnormal remodeling of the spiral arteries and placental ischemia. The placenta plays an important role in pregnancy as it produces a multitude of hormones which are necessary for the maintenance of women's physiology, the development of embryos and also for the promotion of the developed mammary epithelium, so that breastfeeding becomes possible postnatally. Human breast milk is the most valuable nutritional source for infants. Women with preeclampsia more often have problems with lactogenesis II and breastfeeding than women without. It appears that the effect of preeclampsia on breastfeeding is multifactorial in nature and that a strong predictor of breastfeeding outcome is women's intention to breastfeed. Women with hypertensive disorders breastfeed for a shorter period of time and use the formula more easily. Breastfeeding appears to be protectively associated with blood pressure in later life in women, and the shortest duration of breastfeeding associated with benefit is one month. Further investigations are needed to elucidate the mechanism of delayed galactogenesis II in the presence of preeclampsia. Education about the benefits of breastfeeding to prevent hypertension in women is a low-risk intervention and may have a positive impact on cardiovascular outcomes in mothers over time.
 
Keywords: 
Preeclampsia; Gestational hypertension; Lactogenesis; Lactation; Breastfeeding
 
Full text article in PDF: 
Share this