SUMMARY: The article is entitled The use of domperidone to increase lactation for mothers of preterm babies written by Victoria

Young and Annie Atkinson. It was published in the year 2010 at MIDIRS Midwifery Digest. The use of mothers own breast milk during initial hospitalization has a positive impact not only in reducing potential serious neonatal morbidities but also contribute to improvements in neurodevelopmental outcomes. Mothers of very preterm infants struggle to maintain a supply of breast milk during their infants prolonged hospitalization. Galactogogues are medications that induce lactation by exerting its effects through oxytocin or prolactin enhancement. Domperidone is a potent dopamine D2 receptor antagonist which stimulates the release of prolactin. Twenty-eight patients were assigned to receive domperidone for 14 days. Milk volume was measured daily. Mothers being given with the drug were also provided with a diary for a daily diary sheet detailing how much milk each woman had expressded over a 14 day course. The article also talks about the approaches to nonpharmacological and pharmacological measures to improve lactation. Implications to NURSING PRACTICE: The article is a vital tool for nursing practice wherein it updates us nurses for new approaches to be done with mothers having trouble in breastfeeding especially mothers with preterm babies. Nurses should be alert of the side-effects of the drug to the mother and especially to the infants. Certain and immediate nursing responsibilities should be done whenever unexpected outcomes and effects have been seen. NURSING EDUCATION: The article is a robust tool and had a big impact to nursing education, especially to us learners. This article has been a big help to nursing world especially to nursing education, because we nurses are one of the primary source of knowledge of the patients. It has been our duty to disseminate reliable information and new approaches to the patients and to the community.

NURSING RESEARCH: I suggest that more robust studies should include the effects of domperidone on the infant before any recommendation can be made regarding the use of domperidone. Research should also measure domperidone levels and serum samples during the study. Many questions need to be answered before domperidone can be routinely recommended to increase lactation. In particular, it is not known whether the short-term benefit of domperidone will be sustained. Also, the long-term effects of this drug on the infant, if any, need to be determined. A large multicentre trial should be conducted to address these questions. I hope that research should determine the safety and efficacy of domperidone in helping a mother who is experiencing an inadequate milk supply, and how it should be considered in the care of the mother and her preterm infant without causing adverse consequences to either the mother or infant.

REACTION:

The article had a big impact to us learners/student nurses especially to the medical world, nursing research, education and practice, wherein we have been one step closer in unlocking the answers to the mysteries of the human body. Currently, there is no clear approach in managing mothers of preterm infants experiencing an inadequate production of breast milk. We should always bear in mind that before doing pharmacological approaches we should first provide non-pharmacological approaches to patients.