The relationship between mammary gland permeability and the factors related to mothers and their babies

Aim: In this study, concentrations of Na, K, Cl and Na/K ratio that shows the increase of permeability in mammary gland and their relationships with babies? demographic, birth and breastfeeding features, weight gain at first month, sociodemographic features of the mothers and families, history of mothers? pregnancy and breastfeeding, postpartum depression, anxiety and past histories regarding mental illnesses, their adult type attachment styles and other psychosocial risk factors of mothers were aimed to be investigated.Method: The case group consisted of 150 consecutive healthy babies at postpartum 8-15 days that were administered to Dokuz Eylul University School Of Medicine Hospital Paediatrics Department?s Healthy Children Outpatient Unit and Tepecik State Hospital Paediatrics Department?s Newborn Outpatient Unit between July-October 2009. Findings including babies? and their mothers? features were collected by filling out the data form. Besides, weights of babies at first month that could be reached were recorded. Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), State Anxiety Inventory (STAI-I), Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-II) and Relationship Scale Questionnaire (RSQ) were applied to the mothers. Milk samples from all mothers included in the study were collected and the biochemical analyses of Na, K and Cl concentrations were carried out by Cobas 6000 analyser (Roche Diagnostic) and by using ion selective electrode as an indirect procedure. While assessing the measurement results, values more than 18 mmol/L for Na, values more than 18 mmol/L for K, values more than 24 mmol/L for Cl and values more than 1.0 for Na/K ratio were identified as `high?.Results: In babies with higher Na concentrations and Na/K ratio in their mothers? milk were found to be taken into incubator care much more frequently. As the concentrations of Na, Cl and the ratio Na/K rises, babies were found to gain less weight at the end of first month. Babies with higher concentrartions of Na, Cl and Na/K ratio in their mothers? milk were first babies of the families included in the study. Mothers with higher concentrations of Na in their milk were mothers that thought they were not appropriate to have a child, that had poorer relationships with their own mothers, stated that they had no close friendships and had a past history of mental disorders at significance limits. The EPDS scores of mothers with elevated milk Na concentrations and Na/K ratios and state anxiety levels of mothers with elevated milk Na concentrations were found to be higher.Conclusion: Regarding this study?s results, the risk factors causing an increase in the permeability of the mammary glands were determined as incubator care and late sucking for the babies and thoughts of not being suitable for motherhood, symptoms of postpartum depression and high levels of anxiety for the mothers. Babies of mothers with an increase in the permeability of mammary glands were significantly found to have gained no weight at the first month of life.Keywords: Mammary gland permeability, breast milk electrolytes, postpartum depression, hypernatremic dehydration