On the Effects of Menstruation on the Milk of Nurses, By MM.
Becquerel & Vernois.—Upon this effect, which the occurrence of
menstruation exerts in women who are suckling, there is discrepancy
of opinion among authors, the majority, however, with the public at
large, believing in its deteriorating influence. So great is the difficulty
in obtaining true statements upon this point, that among the great num-
ber of hired nurses in Paris, the authors have only been able to examine
the condition of the milk in three women while actually menstruating.
In these the density of the fluid was found slightly diminished, as was the
proportion of sugar, and the proportion of water was sensibly so. The
solid parts were notably increased, especially the caseine. The authors
cannot believe that such changes in composition can induce any mischief
beyond some temporary derangement in the digestive organs, and even
this might be prevented by causing the child to suck less, and letting it
drink a little sugared water, to replace the sugar and water lost during
menstruation.
In the discussion that followed reading the paper, M. Boger observed,
that while attached to the Office for Nurses, he had paid considerable at-
tention to this point, and that he had arrived at the following conclu-
sions :—If the menses reappear easily, without pain or derangement of
the nurse’s health, while her milk is under 12 or 15 months old, and the
quantity of blood lost is normal and moderate, the quantity of milk does
not become diminished, or its qualities altered, and the child does not
suffer from its use. If, however, the menses are too abundant or too fre-
quent, the milk may diminish in quantity or disappear. The same effect
is also produced, though more slowly, in some days or weeks, when the
menses are prolonged for a week, so that the loss is considerable. The
milk will much more certainly dry up if the menses reappear at an ad-
vanced period of lactation—this being then the signal of the imperfec-
tion and approaching termination of the secretion.
When the milk becomes thus diminished, it rarely exhibits the physi-
cal characters of the poor milk; but by its density, whiteness, and the
excess in number and size of its globules, it more approaches in character
and richness cow’s milk. When the menstrual epochs reappear with
difficulty, and are attended with pain, indigestion, diarrhoea, &c., or are
preceded or followed by leucorrhrea, the child may suffer symptoms due
to indigestion induced by the altered characters of the milk—the al-
teration of the milk chiefly consisting in increase in the number and size
of the globules. These influences are, however, only temporary, and the
milk soon recovers its normal character. The ailments which the child
hence suffers are only temporary, and have been greatly exaggerated.
—Ibif from L’Union Medicale, No. 70.