Global InformationDysphoric milk ejection reflex information
| Dysphoric milk ejection reflex | |
|---|---|
| Differential diagnosis | Postpartum depression, Breastfeeding aversion response (BAR)[1] |
Dysphoric milk ejection reflex (D-MER) is a condition in which women who breastfeed develop negative emotions that begin just before the milk ejection reflex and last less than a few minutes.[2] It is different from postpartum depression, breastfeeding aversion response (BAR),[1] or a dislike of breastfeeding.[2] It has been described anecdotally many times,[2] yet one of the earliest case studies on the condition was only published in 2011,[3] and not much research was done prior to that. Even in 2021 when the first review of published literature was done the authors noted that health care providers were still "barely [able to] recognize D-MER."[4]
The feelings described may also occur in women who are not currently, or never have been, breastfeeding. In these cases, stimulation of the nipples produces a similar, dysphoric feeling as described by women with a condition identified as D-MER. A link between local dopamine blockage and the precise location of AMPA-glutamate blockage in the nucleus accumbens,[5] and the subsequent experience of stimuli as negative or positive has been researched but not confirmed as the cause of D-MER and related conditions.
- ^ a b Morns MA, Steel AE, McIntyre E, Burns E (January 7, 2022). "'It Makes My Skin Crawl': Women's experience of breastfeeding aversion response (BAR)". Women and Birth. 35 (6): 582–592. doi:10.1016/j.wombi.2022.01.001. PMID 35012885.
- ^ a b c Lawrence RA, Lawrence RM (2015). Breastfeeding E-Book: A Guide for the Medical Professional. Elsevier Health Sciences. p. 626. ISBN 978-0-323-39420-8.
- ^ Heise AM, Wiessinger D (June 2011). "Dysphoric milk ejection reflex: A case report". International Breastfeeding Journal. 6 (1): 6. doi:10.1186/1746-4358-6-6. PMC 3126760. PMID 21645333.
- ^ Deif, R.; Burch, E. M.; Azar, J.; Yonis, N.; Abou Gabal, M.; El Kramani, N.; Dakhlallah, D. (2021). "Dysphoric Milk Ejection Reflex: The Psychoneurobiology of the Breastfeeding Experience". Frontiers in Global Women's Health. 2: 669826. doi:10.3389/fgwh.2021.669826. PMC 8594038. PMID 34816221.
- ^ Faure A, Reynolds SM, Richard JM, Berridge KC (July 2008). "Mesolimbic dopamine in desire and dread: enabling motivation to be generated by localized glutamate disruptions in nucleus accumbens". The Journal of Neuroscience. 28 (28): 7184–92. doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4961-07.2008. PMC 2519054. PMID 18614688.