The norm of prolactin for conception in women: how does high and low levels of the hormone affect pregnancy? Prolactin. Effect on conception

The influence of hormones in the body is simply colossal, because they regulate all life processes. Psychological health, reproductive functions, emotional state of a person depends on their level. The main female hormone that affects the possibility of conception, gestation and breastfeeding is prolactin.

Prolactin is a hormone synthesized by cells of the anterior pituitary gland. The degree of influence of the hormone on the woman's body is extremely high. If the level of prolactin exceeds the permissible norms, there are failures of the menstrual cycle, hormonal infertility develops.

The production of prolactin occurs in the pituitary gland, one of the parts of the brain, but in small quantities it is also synthesized in the ovaries, and during pregnancy, also in the placenta and in the endometrium of the uterus. The level of the hormone in the blood also depends on another female hormone - estrogen. When estrogen in the blood rises (when carrying a child), the brain receives a command to increase the level of prolactin for conception.

Prolactin significantly affects the mammary glands. It changes the structure of the mammary gland, prepares it for lactation and feeding the newborn. This explains why, when a woman is breastfeeding, she does not have a period, and the chance of conception is greatly reduced.

Important! If breastfeeding contributes to an increase in the level of prolactin, which is absolutely normal, then an increase in the amount of this hormone in another period is very unfavorable for conception and indicates the threat of infertility.

The norm of prolactin in the blood in women

In women, the level of prolactin in the blood is established with the advent of the first menstruation and is kept at the level of 4-36 ng / ml until menopause. During pregnancy, prolactin increases significantly 34-386 ng / ml. For pregnancy, prolactin at conception must be within the normal range.

Important! The impact of prolactin on the possibility of conception should not be underestimated. Therefore, before planning a pregnancy, a woman needs to check the hormonal balance and, with the slightest deviations in the indicators, contact a gynecologist.

Symptoms of high prolactin levels

The main symptoms of an increase in prolactin in the blood include:

• violations and failures of the menstrual cycle (spotting, cycle failure, lack of ovulation);
• discharge from the chest (galactorrhea);
• frigidity or decreased libido;
• excessive hair growth;
• acne pimples;
• infertility.

Causes of elevated prolactin levels in the blood

An increase in hormone levels and problems with the onset of pregnancy can be closely related to the diseases and lifestyle of a woman. Prolactin increases rapidly with emotional overload, especially stress and an active sex life affect its level.

Important! A high level of prolactin will not make it possible to conceive a child.

The main reasons for the increase in the hormone:

• intense physical activity;
• taking antiemetic, psychotropic, contraceptive drugs, tranquilizers;
• operations, chest injuries, curettage of the uterus;
• the presence of an intrauterine device.

Some diseases can also affect the level of prolactin:

• hypothyroidism;
• anorexia;
• prolactinoma (a type of pituitary tumor);
• diseases of the liver and kidneys;
• neoplasms.

How to determine the level of prolactin

To determine the level of prolactin in the blood, it will be enough to take a blood test.

Important! Before blood sampling, it is necessary to minimize stress, do not take hot showers and baths, do not visit the bathhouse and sauna, refrain from sexual intercourse and drinking alcohol.

Blood sampling is carried out in the morning, 2-3 hours after getting up, on an empty stomach. If, after receiving the results, deviations are revealed, you will need to consult an endocrinologist and a gynecologist.

prolactin during pregnancy

Cases when pregnancy occurred with an increased level of prolactin at conception are not uncommon. But in such a situation, there is a threat of spontaneous abortion. Therefore, it is necessary to normalize the level of the hormone in the blood as soon as possible so as not to provoke a miscarriage.

Treatment

Treatment to normalize prolactin levels is carried out after a medical examination. Basically it is drug therapy. They take such drugs: Cyclodinon, Mastodinone, Bromocriptine, Dostinex, Parlodel, etc. The course of taking medications is long: from six months to a year. Periodically, you need to take control tests and measure basal temperature.

If a neoplasm is found in the pituitary gland, drug treatment is first prescribed, and if it does not bring the desired result, surgical intervention is performed.

Prolactin and IVF

Before carrying out the IVF procedure (in vitro fertilization), it is necessary to determine the level of prolactin.

Important! Elevated prolactin and IVF are incompatible, and the operation will be ineffective. The whole procedure will end with the rejection of the embryo.

In order for a long-awaited pregnancy to occur as a result of IVF, it is necessary to reduce prolactin. An increase in prolactin after embryo transfer indicates that the pregnancy is successful, and the embryo has taken root in the body of the uterus. After the embryo transfer, the woman is prescribed drugs that maintain the level of progesterone, these include Duphaston or Utrozhestan. You need to take them up to 14 weeks of pregnancy, while a child's place is being formed.

Take care of your health, stay less under the scorching rays of the sun, which stimulate the hypothalamus and, accordingly, the pituitary gland. You should not get involved in sleeping pills. Noticing the discharge from the mammary glands, you do not need to squeeze them out, thereby stimulating the production of prolactin. It is better to seek help from a gynecologist in order to start correcting the hormonal background in the blood in time.

Prolactin is a biologically active substance secreted by the pituitary gland. This hormone affects all cells in the body. Prolactin is most important for childbearing and breastfeeding. But other functions of the hormone should not be underestimated.

An analysis for blood prolactin is prescribed by an endocrinologist, gynecologist, therapist, neurologist and other specialists.

Reference values ​​vary slightly between laboratories. This is due to the fact that reagents from different manufacturers are used.

The norm of prolactin depends on:

• from the gender of the patient;
• from age;
• from pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Norm for women

Prolactin in non-pregnant women

Women from the beginning of the first menstruation to menopause are most often tested for prolactin. This period is called the childbearing age. The norm in women in these years is considered to be prolactin from 40 to 600 mU / l.

For favorable conception and pregnancy, the ideal level of the hormone is from 120 to 530 mU / l.

An increase in the concentration of the hormone is quite common and can cause infertility. Low levels of the hormone contribute to menstrual irregularities and spontaneous abortions.

Normal values ​​during pregnancy

During pregnancy, prolactin is actively secreted by the pituitary gland. A sufficient amount of the hormone is necessary to maintain pregnancy, and for the growth and development of breast tissue, and for the proper formation of the fetus.

Normal levels of prolactin after conception depend on the exact gestational age. The increase in the concentration of the hormone begins after 8 weeks. The maximum values ​​are fixed after 20–30 weeks. Just a few days before natural childbirth, prolactin begins to fall.

Norms for pregnant women are not approved. In most cases, if necessary, the doctor evaluates the dynamics of changes in the concentration of the hormone during pregnancy.

At the moment, scientists suggest that in pregnant women from 8 to 12 weeks, prolactin is on average 500-2000 mU / l, at 13-27 weeks - 2000-6000 mU / l, and then increases to 4000-10000 mU / l.

Norm after childbirth

After the birth of a child, the hormone is involved in the formation of the maternal instinct, the maintenance of breastfeeding, and the suppression of the ability to conceive again.

An increase in prolactin can persist all the time while a woman is breastfeeding. The highest levels of the hormone are recorded in the first six months of a baby's life. The higher the number of feedings, the greater the value of the hormone.

Prolactin decreases as complementary foods are added to breast milk in the baby's diet, and nightly breastfeeding is also canceled.

Even if the mother continues to breastfeed a child older than a year, an excess of prolactin is rarely found in her blood.

In the first 7 days after childbirth, the hormone in a woman decreases rapidly. If she is not breastfeeding, then by the end of the week, prolactin should be within the normal range for non-pregnant women (40-600 mU / l).

The norm after childbirth in nursing mothers is estimated approximately. It is believed that in the first 6 months the hormone should be up to 2500 mU / l.

A year after the birth of a baby, a nursing mother has a normal prolactin level of up to 1000 mU / l, and in practice in most cases it corresponds to values ​​up to 600 mU / l.

Determining the concentration of the hormone during this period of life is advisable only if a pituitary adenoma is detected.

Normal values ​​in menopausal women

After the cessation of menstruation, a woman's body undergoes great changes. They also concern the activity of the pituitary gland. In particular, a decrease in the average values ​​of prolactin is recorded.

Hormone norm one year after the end of the last menstruation: 25-400 mU / l. In the future, the hormone continues to gradually decline.

The norm in children

In children of the first month of life, a high level of prolactin in the blood is observed. Initial values ​​can be up to 1700–2000 mU/l. These indicators are associated with the intake of maternal hormone. The child may experience engorgement of the mammary glands and the release of drops of colostrum from the areola.

Very quickly, the concentration of the hormone in the blood begins to fall, and by the end of the neonatal period, the norm is up to 607 mU/l in boys and up to 628 mU/l in girls. She stays that way for the first year of her life.

On average, in children under 10 years old, the indicator is 40-400 mU / l.

Adolescents have higher hormone levels than younger children. This is especially noticeable in girls.

The norm in men

In men, the hormone performs a number of important functions. But the need for it is much less than that of women. The norm for men is in the range from 53 to 360 mU / l. A high, but normal concentration is considered to be 360-400 mU / l.

Random hormone abnormalities

Random deviations of prolactin values ​​from the norm occur in healthy people who neglect the correct preparation for analysis.

To see the true levels of the hormone you need

• exclude sex a day before the analysis;
• refuse thermal procedures (bath, hot bath, sauna) a day before the analysis;
• do not eat anything 8-12 hours before blood sampling;
• avoid strenuous physical activity on the day of the study;
• maintain emotional calm on the day of analysis.

You can not take this analysis during a period of poor health, a viral disease and severe fatigue. Insomnia and other sleep disorders can also affect the result. It is possible to determine the indicator correctly only in the morning hours (8.00–10.00). After waking up, at least 180 minutes must pass.

The hormone prolactin plays an important role, is involved in the work of various body systems, including reproductive. Hyperprolactinemia - an increase in prolactin in the blood - is one of the most common forms of hormonal infertility. In 20-25% of patients with infertility and menstrual irregularities, an increased level of this hormone is found. The main source of prolactin is the pituitary gland. But a small amount of it is also secreted by the placenta, ovaries, endometrium.

Factors for increasing prolactin

Physiological: occur in healthy women. The level of the hormone increases during pregnancy, in the postpartum period, during breastfeeding, also with increased stress, sports. Prolactin is very responsive to emotions, so both stress and affection, especially breast stimulation, and sexual intercourse can affect its temporary increase. There may also be a reflex increase in the hormone due to intrauterine devices.

from the story - Notes of the embryo, about the conversation of the embryo with the mother, read on this site

… But everything turns out to be even worse than I thought. I woke up one morning and suddenly discovered that I had hair growing on my head. They are terribly long! Moms! So maybe I'm still a dog? No, Lucy had a tail, but I don't have one. Then I turn from a man into a real elephant. Daddy, thanks, croaked!

Pathological: caused by certain diseases (primary hypothyroidism, renal failure, liver cirrhosis, PCOS, etc.) and pituitary tumors (micro- and macroprolactinomas).

Also, the hormone rises after taking certain medications, for example, contraceptives, antiemetics, hypotensive, psychotropic, tranquilizers. After curettage of the uterine cavity, injuries and operations on the chest, mammary glands, and other interventions.

Symptoms of high prolactin

Women may experience discharge from the mammary glands (galactorrhea) - this symptom occurs in 30% of women with hyperprolactinemia, menstrual irregularities (poor menstruation, lack of ovulation, insufficiency of the second phase), infertility, decreased libido and frigidity, excessive hair growth, acne. Men can also have elevated prolactin. Symptoms are breast enlargement, decreased desire and potency, as well as a decrease in testosterone production, which adversely affects sperm motility and quality and can lead to infertility.

Diagnostics

To diagnose problems with prolactin, women need to consult an endocrinologist or gynecologist-endocrinologist, men need an endocrinologist and this is the determination of the level of the hormone in the blood. If, according to the results of a blood test, elevated prolactin is detected, but there are no other symptoms, then you need to retake the analysis. Please note that blood sampling for analysis should be carried out strictly in the morning, 2-3 hours after waking up, on an empty stomach. If it takes a long time to get to the clinic, then it makes sense to take tests at home. Many laboratories offer this service. On the eve it is necessary to avoid stress, sexual relations, visits to saunas and baths, alcohol intake. Refrain from cigarettes one hour before the test. The level of the hormone in the blood of women fluctuates slightly during the menstrual cycle, so the results are interpreted depending on its phase. It is very important to follow all the recommendations, otherwise a false result will lead to additional, possibly not relevant research for you. The norms depend on the specific laboratory, since different reagents are used. Therefore, when interpreting the analysis, you need to focus only on the norms indicated next to the result.

Based on the results of blood tests, the doctor may prescribe additional diagnostic methods: craniogram, computed tomography, fundus and visual field studies, functional tests with thyroid-stimulating hormone and metoclopramide.

Treatment Methods

The method of treatment is chosen by doctors depending on the results of the examination. Most often it is drug therapy. With a slight increase in prolactin, homeopathic medicines can be dispensed with, for example, those containing sacred vitex extracts - mastodinone or cyclodinone. But most often, patients have to take more serious drugs - bromocriptine, parlodel, dostinex and others. Tune in to long-term treatment, its course can last six months or longer. Periodically, you will need to take tests to control hormone levels and measure basal body temperature. Modern drugs prescribed for hyperprolactinemia can achieve good results in 80% of cases.

When pituitary tumors are detected, treatment is selected by a gynecologist and a neurosurgeon, depending on the size of the tumor. Due to the effectiveness of drug treatment, surgical and radiation methods are rarely used. Prolactinomas can grow very slowly or not grow at all, and while taking special medications, they decrease in size. But in the absence of a positive effect from drug treatment and the progressive development of the tumor, they resort to surgical intervention.

Prevention

There are no specific measures to prevent elevated prolactin. Just take care of yourself, do not get carried away with tanning - prolonged exposure to the sun stimulates the hypothalamus, and it stimulates the pituitary gland. Do not abuse drugs, including sleeping pills, it is better to drink motherwort and valerian. If you find discharge from the nipple, then do not try to squeeze it out, by doing this you only stimulate the process of producing prolactin. Small discharge from the chest within 2-3 years after childbirth, miscarriage or abortion is a variant of the norm. But it is always better to get checked, consult a doctor, so as not to miss a violation of your hormonal system.

from the article - Traditional Medicine, Zh. B. Khanin

... Do not grab yourself in case of fear or surprise by the face, hands, since the child may have red or blue birthmarks in such places.

When they talk about the harmful effects of stress on reproductive function, they often refer to a special hormone - prolactin. It is mainly produced in the pituitary gland and in small quantities in the ovaries. And also - here it is worth remembering the stresses during pregnancy - this hormone is produced in the placenta and endometrium.

So, we found out that with regular stress, a sedentary lifestyle and other negative factors, the level of prolactin increases. And this directly affects the reproductive function of the body. And both in men and women.

Moreover, according to statistics, a quarter of infertile couples have elevated levels of prolactin.

How does prolactin affect conception in women?

Any intervention in the uterine cavity - from the installation of an intrauterine device to a micro-abortion - will definitely affect the level of prolactin. Similarly - and operations on the mammary glands, kidney and liver failure. Okay, prolactin levels are up. But is it good or bad?

The norm of prolactin for conceiving a child in women and men

Normal levels:

1. women: less than 25 ng/ml
2. men: less than 17 ng/ml

Symptoms of high prolactin

Disorders of reproductive function with an increase in prolactin are inevitable in men. As a result, less testosterone is produced. the potency decreases, and the quality of spermatozoa noticeably deteriorates. As a result, the same outcome is not excluded - infertility.

Diagnostics
Most likely, you will be offered a diagnosis if you are faced with a problem of infertility. Therefore, among other specialists, both of you will have to visit an endocrinologist. And in parallel - a gynecologist and a urologist-andrologist.
To determine if you really have elevated prolactin, you need to take a special blood test. First of all, you need to find a laboratory that is ready to do such an analysis. The fact is that different laboratories use different reagents to determine the level of prolactin, so their results will differ from each other.

Start from your, specifically for you, described result. It is very important that the analysis is done on an empty stomach, in the morning. Before him, you can not smoke for an hour, and the day before that - drink alcohol, have sex, go to the sauna. And it is important for women to clarify in which phase of the cycle it is better to take an analysis. If these conditions are violated, it is problematic to obtain a reliable result.

When the results of the analyzes are received, it is possible that additional examinations will be required. Sometimes they also prescribe a craniogram or tomography, and tests for other hormones.

Treatment Methods
If prolactin is slightly elevated, homeopathy may be an appropriate method to normalize it. Sometimes serious drug therapy. At the same time, in the course of treatment, and it can last from six months to a year, you will have to re-take tests for prolactin, and women will constantly monitor their basal temperature. According to doctors, it is possible to achieve success with such treatment in 80% of cases.
In exceptional cases, even tumors can occur in the pituitary gland. They are called prolactinomas. As a rule, they grow slowly, but sometimes, in rare cases, require surgical treatment.

Prevention
Is there really no way to independently return the level of prolactin to normal? Certainly there is. Do not get carried away with medicines, sunbathe less in the sun. Follow the regime - sleep, nutrition. Lead an active lifestyle. In general, take time for yourself and your health, and a wise body will find reserves on its own in order to restore the lost balance.

Sometimes the reason for the impossibility of getting pregnant is a hormonal imbalance. And when a woman learns about this reason, she gets acquainted with the new medical term “prolactin”. This is the "guilty" hormone in infertility. What to do in such a situation? Is it possible to conceive at all with an increased level of this hormone? How does it affect pregnancy?

Tests for hormones

The ability to conceive, the process of bearing, lactation depend on the hormonal background of a woman. And if she suffers from infertility, then the doctor will definitely recommend taking tests for hormones. One of them is prolactin, which regulates lactation, which contributes to an increase in the mammary glands during childbearing.

In medicine, prolactin is considered a poorly understood hormone. All of its functions in our body are not known. But science has precisely determined that it is directly related to the reproductive function, because it has the greatest effect on the mammary glands. Without this hormone, the mammary glands will simply be incapable of lactation.

It should be noted that prolactin can increase after intercourse and even a passionate kiss, after. Therefore, the analysis for prolactin should be taken in the morning, on an empty stomach. This must be done in the first and second phase of the cycle.

When, after passing the tests, this hormone turned out to be above the norm, this may mean the presence of a benign brain tumor in the body and be the reason for not ovulating.

An elevated state of prolactin is called hyperprolactinemia. When the increase is not very large, then you need to know the level of macroprolactin, that is, inactive prolactin. If a significant amount of macroprolactin is detected, then pregnancy can be planned calmly.

Treatment before pregnancy

So, hyperprolactinemia is detected. Then the gynecologist recommends that the woman go through to confirm or exclude the presence of a tumor. This is followed by therapy that reduces the level of prolactin. If a tumor is found, then the prescribed drugs should be drunk without interruption for a year, and then become pregnant. Such long-term treatment is needed to reduce the risk of prolactinoma growth in a future pregnancy. In the absence of a tumor, drugs are prescribed before pregnancy. After that, the therapy is immediately stopped.

Examinations after pregnancy

Prolactin levels are not measured during pregnancy. Indeed, in an interesting position, it is elevated in all women. It is also necessary for the unborn child, as it affects the maturation of the pulmonary system.

The production of the hormone prolactin during pregnancy also depends on the hormone estrogen. When the level of estrogen in the blood increases, a signal is sent to the brain to increase the secretion of prolactin. After all, there is a need to prepare a woman for breastfeeding. Thus, the action of prolactin during childbearing replaces the adipose tissue of the mammary glands with secretory. Because of this, they significantly increase in size. Subsequently, the production of mother's milk is directly dependent on prolactin.

By the way, this hormone through the mother's body enters during pregnancy and into the child's body. Therefore, in some babies, immediately after birth, the mammary glands are slightly enlarged. This is not a reason for mom's concern. Everything will go away on its own in a few days.

And the presence of an increased level of this hormone in the blood of expectant and nursing mothers has the effect of anesthesia: more prolactin in the blood - less sensitivity to pain. This relationship has been confirmed in laboratory conditions. Scientists also believe that prolactin makes the mammary glands less sensitive.

You should know that a high level of prolactin does not affect the fading of pregnancy and. It is a myth.

Especially for Elena TOLOCHIK