What is the reason for lactation in adolescent girls? Is lactation in teenage girls caused by excessive estrogen

What is the reason for lactation in young girls? The most obvious secondary sexual characteristic during female adolescence is breast development and rapid body growth, which is often the most obvious starting point for adolescent sexual development. And some girls may experience lactation, what is the reason for the lactation of young girls?

Girls with normal development experience menstruation from the age of 13 to 18 until their reproductive organs mature. This physiological period is called adolescence. During this period, besides menstruation, girls' breasts, as secondary sexual characteristics, have clearly developed. There are acini and ducts inside the breast, and acinar cells have the function of lactation. The ducts are the pathways for milk. These two structures develop and grow under the stimulation of female hormones (also known as hormones) secreted by the ovaries of women.

When does the breast develop

Breasts are a common characteristic of mammals, typically growing in pairs and symmetrically on both sides. The human mammary gland has only one pair in front of the chest, which originates from the ectoderm. Since birth, breast development has gone through different periods, such as infancy, adolescence, sexual maturity, pregnancy, lactation and menopause. In different periods of change, there are significant differences in the levels of endocrine hormones in the body, which affect the development and physiological function of the breasts.

In early childhood, during the neonatal period, due to the fact that maternal estrogen can enter the baby's body through the placenta, causing breast tissue hyperplasia, about 60% of newborns develop a hard lump 1-2 cm in size below the nipple and a small amount of milk like substances are secreted 2 to 4 days after birth. As maternal hormones gradually metabolize, this phenomenon can disappear by itself after 1 to 3 weeks of birth. It should be pointed out here that do not squeeze the nipple with your hands to avoid infection. In some areas of our country, it is a popular custom that all newborns squeeze their nipples after birth, otherwise it is considered to cause nipple depression. This understanding is unscientific and the practice is also not advisable. The reason for nipple depression is the abnormal development of the mammary gland during the embryonic period, not the lack of nipple compression.

In infancy and young children, the mammary gland is basically in a "stationary" state, and the gland is degenerative, with males being more complete than females. Starting from adolescence, influenced by various endocrine hormones, female breasts enter the most active period of physiological development and functional activity in their lifetime, until menopause. After experiencing puberty, the organizational structure of the breast has become more perfect, entering the sexual maturity stage of the breast. During each menstrual cycle, with the periodic changes in ovarian endocrine hormones, breast tissue undergoes a cycle of proliferation and involution. Pregnancy and lactation are special physiological periods for women of childbearing age, during which the mammary gland undergoes a series of changes to adapt to these special physiological needs. Starting from the menopause, ovarian endocrine hormones gradually decrease, and the physiological activity of the breasts gradually weakens..