Mammary Gland Anomalies and Lactation Failure

Abstract

Human milk is universally recognized as optimal infant nutrition, and international attention is being focused on strategies to increase the present incidence and duration of lactation. Despite both professional and lay enthusiasm for breast-feeding, many women experience lactation difficulties, most often attributable to breast-feeding mismanagement. However, primary and secondary breast anatomical problems remain infrequently acknowledged causes of lactation insufficiency. Unfortunately, such causes often go unrecognized since a thorough examination of the breast, with emphasis on its functional potential, is frequently overlooked in routine prenatal care.