EVALUATION OF THE PUERPERAL BREAST THROUGH THERMOGRAPHY: A CASE REPORT

Abstract

Objective: to analyze puerperal breast temperature using infrared thermography. Method: study performed at the Human Milk Bank of a Hospital in Curitiba, Brazil. A lactating mother with bilateral engorgement in the external breast quadrants was randomly selected and the temperature was measured.Results: A soft mammary lobe was found, with thermal asymmetry of 1.5ºC, compared to the contralateral region, however no thermal asymmetry was identified in the general temperature between the breasts. Conclusion: this case suggests that thermal asymmetry in the puerperal breast is related to the volume of milk in the lobes and not to dysfunctions or pathologies in these lobes. The study indicates possibilities for deepening the understanding of lactational physiology with the amplification of the sample group evaluated in this study. Thermography is a technique suitable for lactating mothers, however requires an appropriate room, time for acclimatization and knowledge of the mammary anatomy.

Keywords

• Breast
• Breastfeeding
• Maternal and child nursing
• Thermography
• Lactation