Final answer:
Prolactin released from the placenta is responsible for promoting breast growth and the process of lactation, or milk production, in the mother.
Step-by-step explanation:
The release of prolactin from the placenta promotes breast growth as well as the production of breast milk. Prolactin is a hormone that is released from the anterior pituitary gland in response to signals from the hypothalamus when the baby begins suckling at the breast. It causes the mammary glands to produce milk and is essential for lactation and breastfeeding.
Prolactin is a pituitary hormone that establishes and maintains the supply of breast milk. During the third trimester of pregnancy, mothers experience changes in their mammary glands to prepare for breast-feeding. When the baby begins suckling at the breast, the hypothalamus sends signals that cause the anterior pituitary to release prolactin. This hormone stimulates the mammary glands to produce milk, while oxytocin is released to promote the milk's release.
Hormones like progesterone secreted by the placenta, alongside prolactin, play crucial roles in ensuring proper breast development and the production of breast milk, which contains essential nutrients and immunoglobulins crucial for the baby's development and protection against infections.