Cortisol, Prolactin, and Breastmilk Volume; A Promising Pattern for Reducing Postpartum Depression

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Research shows postnatal depression and shorter breastfeeding are consistently related, but their causal effect remains debatable. To reduce the impact of mental disorders in the perinatal period, lactation may give a significant neuroendocrine effect. AIM: This study aimed to examine hormonal patterns and estimated breastmilk volume of mothers with depression. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was conducted during the three-trimester to 6-week postnatal period. It involved 60 pregnant women from South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Analysis of variance with repeated measures was used to compare and review fluctuations and effect sizes of cortisol, prolactin, and breastmilk volume of mothers with depression symptoms. RESULTS: The mean cortisol levels rose in the 4th week and decreased in the 6th week in both groups. There was no substantial difference in the cortisol levels between these periods (p = 0.534; p = 0.553; and p = 0.660), but the prolactin levels continuously increased by 2 weeks and substantially progressed in the 4th and 6th weeks (p < 0.028, p < 0.009), respectively. There was no positive association between cortisol and prolactin levels (p = 0.384). The breastmilk volume was higher every week only in mothers without depression and it slightly decreased in other categories. This study emphasized the prolactin’s protective effect size on a stressful environment characterized by high cortisol; a significant rise in prolactin levels occurred in the 2nd and 4th weeks of postnatal, marking the higher lactation. CONCLUSIONS: Breastfeeding hormones may provide protection against postpartum depression in moms. It is critical to establish a history of prior trauma in nursing mothers in order to facilitate diagnosis and proper care.