Multiple Lactations: Effect of Successive Lactation on Milk Production and Infant Milk Intake

Optimal infant growth is reliant on both the production and intake of sufficient human milk. Some studies, in particular animal models, suggest that multiparous mothers produce a higher yield of milk compared to primiparous mothers. The aim of this study was to examine whether there is a relationshi...

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Main Authors: Ashleigh H. Warden, Vanessa S. Sakalidis, Jacki L. McEachran, Ching Tat Lai, Sharon L. Perrella, Donna T. Geddes, Zoya Gridneva
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-01-01
Series:Proceedings
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2504-3900/112/1/11
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author Ashleigh H. Warden
Vanessa S. Sakalidis
Jacki L. McEachran
Ching Tat Lai
Sharon L. Perrella
Donna T. Geddes
Zoya Gridneva
author_facet Ashleigh H. Warden
Vanessa S. Sakalidis
Jacki L. McEachran
Ching Tat Lai
Sharon L. Perrella
Donna T. Geddes
Zoya Gridneva
author_sort Ashleigh H. Warden
collection DOAJ
description Optimal infant growth is reliant on both the production and intake of sufficient human milk. Some studies, in particular animal models, suggest that multiparous mothers produce a higher yield of milk compared to primiparous mothers. The aim of this study was to examine whether there is a relationship between successive lactations and maternal 24 h milk production and infant milk intake. Lactating mothers who did not feed commercial milk formula (<i>n</i> = 22) measured their milk production at 1–6 months postpartum by test-weighing their infants for 24 h during two consecutive lactations (L1: at 3.0 ± 1.2 months, L2: at 2.6 ± 1.0 months; (<i>p</i> = 0.26)) and provided the dyad’s demographics. Twenty-four-hour milk production by breast, infant 24 h milk intake (including mothers’ own expressed milk), and breastfeeding and expressing frequencies were measured. Statistical analysis used linear mixed modelling accounting for infant birth weight and the random effect of participant. There were no differences between L1 and L2 for milk production (L1: 748 ± 122 g; L2: 768 ± 157 g; <i>p</i> = 0.57), infant milk intake (L1: 744 ± 133 g; L2: 776 ± 189 g; <i>p</i> = 0.50), 24 h breastfeeding frequency (L1: 13 ± 4; L2: 12 ± 3; <i>p</i> = 0.28), and expression frequency (L1: 1.4 ± 1.9; L2: 1.4 ± 2.8; <i>p</i> = 0.95). Birth weight was higher with the successive lactation (L1: 3260 ± 345 g; L2: 3509 ± 237 g; <i>p</i> = 0.002). Infant sex was not associated with 24 h milk production (<i>p</i> = 0.21), milk intake (<i>p</i> = 0.62), or breastfeeding frequency (<i>p</i> = 0.17). The findings of this study suggest that in humans there is no effect of successive lactations or infant sex on 24 h milk production or infant milk intake.
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spelling doaj-art-8d9f8f885fcd48e3a8019db5b76427f82025-08-20T01:49:07ZengMDPI AGProceedings2504-39002025-01-0111211110.3390/proceedings2025112011Multiple Lactations: Effect of Successive Lactation on Milk Production and Infant Milk IntakeAshleigh H. Warden0Vanessa S. Sakalidis1Jacki L. McEachran2Ching Tat Lai3Sharon L. Perrella4Donna T. Geddes5Zoya Gridneva6School of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, AustraliaMenzies School of Health Research, Royal Darwin Hospital Campus, Casuarina, NT 0810, AustraliaSchool of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, AustraliaSchool of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, AustraliaSchool of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, AustraliaSchool of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, AustraliaSchool of Molecular Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, AustraliaOptimal infant growth is reliant on both the production and intake of sufficient human milk. Some studies, in particular animal models, suggest that multiparous mothers produce a higher yield of milk compared to primiparous mothers. The aim of this study was to examine whether there is a relationship between successive lactations and maternal 24 h milk production and infant milk intake. Lactating mothers who did not feed commercial milk formula (<i>n</i> = 22) measured their milk production at 1–6 months postpartum by test-weighing their infants for 24 h during two consecutive lactations (L1: at 3.0 ± 1.2 months, L2: at 2.6 ± 1.0 months; (<i>p</i> = 0.26)) and provided the dyad’s demographics. Twenty-four-hour milk production by breast, infant 24 h milk intake (including mothers’ own expressed milk), and breastfeeding and expressing frequencies were measured. Statistical analysis used linear mixed modelling accounting for infant birth weight and the random effect of participant. There were no differences between L1 and L2 for milk production (L1: 748 ± 122 g; L2: 768 ± 157 g; <i>p</i> = 0.57), infant milk intake (L1: 744 ± 133 g; L2: 776 ± 189 g; <i>p</i> = 0.50), 24 h breastfeeding frequency (L1: 13 ± 4; L2: 12 ± 3; <i>p</i> = 0.28), and expression frequency (L1: 1.4 ± 1.9; L2: 1.4 ± 2.8; <i>p</i> = 0.95). Birth weight was higher with the successive lactation (L1: 3260 ± 345 g; L2: 3509 ± 237 g; <i>p</i> = 0.002). Infant sex was not associated with 24 h milk production (<i>p</i> = 0.21), milk intake (<i>p</i> = 0.62), or breastfeeding frequency (<i>p</i> = 0.17). The findings of this study suggest that in humans there is no effect of successive lactations or infant sex on 24 h milk production or infant milk intake.https://www.mdpi.com/2504-3900/112/1/11human milklactationmilk productionmilk intakesuccessive lactationinfant
spellingShingle Ashleigh H. Warden
Vanessa S. Sakalidis
Jacki L. McEachran
Ching Tat Lai
Sharon L. Perrella
Donna T. Geddes
Zoya Gridneva
Multiple Lactations: Effect of Successive Lactation on Milk Production and Infant Milk Intake
Proceedings
human milk
lactation
milk production
milk intake
successive lactation
infant
title Multiple Lactations: Effect of Successive Lactation on Milk Production and Infant Milk Intake
title_full Multiple Lactations: Effect of Successive Lactation on Milk Production and Infant Milk Intake
title_fullStr Multiple Lactations: Effect of Successive Lactation on Milk Production and Infant Milk Intake
title_full_unstemmed Multiple Lactations: Effect of Successive Lactation on Milk Production and Infant Milk Intake
title_short Multiple Lactations: Effect of Successive Lactation on Milk Production and Infant Milk Intake
title_sort multiple lactations effect of successive lactation on milk production and infant milk intake
topic human milk
lactation
milk production
milk intake
successive lactation
infant
url https://www.mdpi.com/2504-3900/112/1/11
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AT chingtatlai multiplelactationseffectofsuccessivelactationonmilkproductionandinfantmilkintake
AT sharonlperrella multiplelactationseffectofsuccessivelactationonmilkproductionandinfantmilkintake
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