What causes high prolactin levels in the pituitary gland during pregnancy?
Disease description:
I'm five months pregnant and during a hospital checkup, I was told that my pituitary prolactin level is high. What causes elevated pituitary prolactin in pregnant women?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Huang Shichang
High prolactin levels in pregnant women are generally caused by conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and amenorrhea-galactorrhea syndrome. Other factors contributing to elevated prolactin include excessive physical exercise and trauma. Additionally, neural stimulation—particularly stimulation of the chest skin—can lead to high prolactin levels. This is mainly due to severe pain resulting from peripheral nerve damage; the pain signals can be transmitted via nerves to the hypothalamus, thereby causing an increase in prolactin secretion.
