The Impact of Breastfeeding on Maternal Brachial Artery Pulse Pressure

Abstract

Background and Objective: Breastfeeding has contraceptive, behavioral, hormonal and metabolic positive outcomes, and it can affect on maternal blood pressure, hypotension and hypertension. We aimed to assess the impact of breastfeeding on maternal brachial artery pulse pressure in the women with natural labour and those with a history of preeclampsia. Material and Methods: The participants were 34 women with natural pregnancy (group I) and 18 with the history of preclampsia (group II). Mother’s blood pressure was recorded 3 times simultaneously from right and left brachial artery in supine position. The repeated measure ANOVA was used for statistical analysis.Results: There was no significant change in pulse pressure ( PP) with respect to time between two groups. This condition was similar in right and left side. In either sides, significant difference was observed for systolic, diastolic or PP values between two groups. A uniform trend including an increase of blood pressure at 5 minutes and a decrease after 30 minutes was also observed.Conclusion: The brachial PP is abnormally higher in mothers with preeclampsia. Similarly in both sides, breastfeeding leads to systolic and diastolic changes but that is not the case for PP.

Keywords

• pulse pressure
• breastfeeding
• pregnancy