Breastfeeding mothers working night shifts could produce milk with altered levels of the sleep hormone, potentially affecting their child’s long-term health, new research suggests.
Melatonin in breast milk was usually virtually undetectable during the day, Booker said, but among the shiftworkers she studied, its production started later in the night and lasted longer into the next day., says this could influence babies’ circadian rhythms, just as night shifts may produce changes in the systems of adults.
For her study, funded by Mercy Health, melatonin in breast milk and saliva was measured in mothers doing shiftwork in roles such as nursing and ambulance work. “We call it liquid gold for a reason, it is utterly profound for the individuals, and this is not a message saying don’t breastfeed if you’re on shiftwork.
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