International Board of Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) Practice Exam

Disable ads (and more) with a membership for a one time $2.99 payment

Prepare for the International Board of Certified Lactation Consultant Exam with flashcards and multiple choice questions, complete with hints and explanations. Excel in your exam!

Each practice test/flash card set has 50 randomly selected questions from a bank of over 500. You'll get a new set of questions each time!

Practice this question and more.

Surges of estrogen during pregnancy stimulate the growth of which structure?

Fat cells
Vascular tissue
Muscular tissue
Ducts

The correct answer is: Ducts

Estrogen plays a crucial role during pregnancy, particularly in preparing the breast for lactation. One of the primary functions of estrogen is to stimulate the growth and development of the ducts within the mammary glands. These ducts are essential for the transportation of milk from the alveoli, where it is produced, to the nipple for breastfeeding. During pregnancy, the surge in estrogen levels leads to an increase in the number and branching of these ductal structures. This growth is critical for establishing an effective milk delivery system once the baby is born. While other tissues in the body, such as fat and muscular tissue, may also respond to hormonal changes during pregnancy, the specific and immediate stimulation of ductal development in the breast is primarily attributed to estrogen's actions. The other options do not specifically correlate with the direct effects of estrogen on mammary gland development in preparation for lactation. While fat cells and vascular tissue undergo changes during pregnancy, the primary target of the estrogen surge in the context of preparing for breastfeeding is the ductal system in the mammary glands.