A supplemental nursing system (SNS), also known as a lactation aid, is a device that consists of a container and a capillary tube. It is used to provide additional nutrients to a baby whose mother has

low milk supply In breastfeeding women, low milk supply, also known as lactation insufficiency, insufficient milk syndrome, agalactia, agalactorrhea, hypogalactia or hypogalactorrhea, is the production of breast milk in daily volumes that do not fully meet the nu ...

. During breastfeeding, the end of the tube is placed alongside the mother's nipple so that both the tube and the breast are in the infant's mouth.{{Cite news, url=http://breastfeeding.support/supplemental-nursing-system/, title=Breastfeeding With a Supplemental Nursing System – Breastfeeding Support, date=2014-07-15, work=Breastfeeding Support, access-date=2018-02-17, language=en-US The SNS container can be filled with pumped

breastmilk Breast milk (sometimes spelled as breastmilk) or mother's milk is milk produced by mammary glands located in the breast of a human female. Breast milk is the primary source of nutrition for newborns, containing fat, protein, carbohydrates (lactos ...

, donor milk, or with

infant formula Infant formula, baby formula, or simply formula (American English); or baby milk, infant milk or first milk (British English), is a manufactured food designed and marketed for feeding to babies and infants under 12 months of age, usually prepar ...

. The tubing is usually attached with removable tape. When the newborn

infant An infant or baby is the very young offspring of human beings. ''Infant'' (from the Latin word ''infans'', meaning 'unable to speak' or 'speechless') is a formal or specialised synonym for the common term ''baby''. The terms may also be used to ...

suckles on the breast, the infant is nourished both by fluid from the capillary tube and by the mother's breastmilk from the nipple. The mother's milk supply is stimulated by the infant suckling, and in most cases the use of the SNS can be discontinued in a few days or weeks when the mother's milk supply has risen to meet the infant's needs. Mothers usually obtain SNS supplies from a

lactation consultant A lactation consultant is a health professional who specializes in the clinical management of breastfeeding. The International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners (IBLCE) certifies lactation consultants who meet its criteria and have passed ...

Images

File:SNS (supplemental nursing system) supplies.jpg, Equipment for supplemental nursing system using syringe. File:SNS attached.jpg, Equipment for supplemental nursing system using syringe, assembled. File:Gavage feeding with bottle.jpg, Equipment for supplemental nursing system using a bottle. The opening of the teat has been enlarged. File:Paladai IMG 20210812 192837.jpg, Paladai is now used in prominent hospitals in India for premature babies, for supplemental feeding.

References

External links

Information on SNS for adoptive mothers
(Retrieved 2010-07-08)

(Retrieved 2010-07-08) Infant feeding Breastfeeding