Artificial lactation is on the rise in Chennai

Chennai: With the number of women adopting babies rising by the day, the option of artificial lactation is growing in the city. Though difficult, the method of induced lactation is possible either by hormonal therapy that prepares a to-be-mother to breastfeed or medications that stimulate the production, pediatricians say.

“In the case of preemies, where the body of the mother is not prepared for breastfeeding, we prescribe medications that act on the receptors of the brain to induce hormones of Prolactin (that produces milk) and Oxytocin (that ejects milk),” said Dr Madhuri Prabu, neonatal paediatrician, Motherhood hospital.

However, in the case of mothers who adopt babies, the treatment is time consuming, say doctors. Explaining the procedure, a city-based paediatrician, Ravi Prasad said, “It could be done by supplementing the estrogen and progesterone for at least six months. To stimulate ejection, the to-be-mother should express milk through breast pumps at least for two months.”

“It could help in the mother-baby bond. However, it is not help as it has no nutritional value and could prove insufficient for the child,” said Dr Gopinath Rao, neonatal paediatrician, Motherhood hospital. “A child must, essentially drink his/her mother’s milk, especially during the first few weeks during which period the milk tends to contain more calories, which is needed for the baby’s brain growth,” he added.