How prolactinoma affects breastfeeding

Prolactinoma is a benign tumor of the pituitary gland, which produces prolactin. With which those people affected by this tumor will have very high levels of this hormone. Prolactin is a hormone that stimulates the breast to produce breast milk. How does a prolactinoma affect breastfeeding? Symptoms

Prolactinoma is a benign tumor of the pituitary gland, which produces prolactin. With which those people affected by this tumor will have very high levels of this hormone.

Prolactin is a hormone that stimulates the breast to produce breast milk. How does a prolactinoma affect breastfeeding?

Symptoms of prolactinoma in women

This type of tumor affects men and women, however the latter are usually the most affected. The symptoms that occur to women are the following:

1. Flow of abnormal milk from the breast in a woman who is not pregnant or nursing (galactorrhea).

2. Breast tenderness.

3. Decrease in libido.

4. Decreased peripheral vision.

5. Headache.

6. Infertility.

7. Cessation of menstruation without relation to menopause or irregular menstruation.

8. Changes in vision, if the tumor presses the optic nerve.

How prolactinoma affects breastfeeding

There is some controversy about breastfeeding and presence of this type of tumors, since it can be thought that women who breastfeed may have greater tumor growth debido, because the baby's sucking produces the stimulus to increase the production of prolactin, and this could cause the size of the prolactinoma to increase.However, since the

AEPED (Spanish Association of Pediatrics) they suggest that women should be encouraged to breastfeed their children, regardless of whether they have prolactinoma or not, since the scientific evidence has not shown greater growth of the tumor during the periods of lactation. There are several scientific articles that indicate that it is a mistake for a health professional to discourage breastfeeding, since

there has been no evidence of worsening las of clinical manifestations, or tumor growth due to this fact. Cases have even been described of women who, being under treatment for hyperprolactinemia (too high prolactin in the blood), have instituted successful breastfeeding. In conclusion, the presence of this tumor

is not a contraindication for breastfeeding,

although I recommend that women go to breastfeeding support groups or consultants to gain confidence in the process, in the event that difficulties appear in Breastfeeding Like any woman, whether or not she has prolactinoma.