Augmentation of puerperal lactation by oral administration of sulpiride.

The effect of oral administration of sulpiride on PRL secretion and initiation of puerperal lactation was studied in 130 randomly selected primiparous nursing mothers. Sixty-six women were given 50 mg sulpiride orally twice a day during the first 7 days of the puerperium (sulpiride group). Sixty-four women were given a placebo in the same way (control group). The mean (+/-SE) total milk yield during the first 5 postpartum days in the sulpiride group (1211.7 +/- 65.0 ml) was significantly greater than that in the control group (916.0 +/- 66.0 ml). Every other day determinations of serum PRL levels revealed significantly higher concentrations in the sulpiride group than in the control group. A single oral dose of 50 mg sulpiride raised serum PRL levels for 12 h, with a peak level at 2 h after dosing in 7 women on the second postpartum day. These data suggest that sulpiride given orally promotes the initiation of lactation in puerperal women by stimulating PRL secretion.