A mother has a lot of milk stored in the breast and mammary glands but cannot seem to expel the milk for her newborn. Her doctor thinks that the cause may be
A) low levels of oxytocin.
B) high levels of HCG.
C) low levels of estrogen.
D) low levels of progesterone.
E) unresponsive smooth muscle around the mammary glands.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Oxytocin is a hormone necessary for the let-down reflex, which causes the milk to be released from the mammary glands. Low levels of oxytocin can lead to difficulty in expelling the milk, even if there is a lot of milk stored in the breast and mammary glands.

A Mother Has a Lot of Milk Stored in the Breast