Parturition and lactation — practice questions

Question 1 · difficulty L1 · recall

Which hormone is strongly associated with uterine contractions during parturition?

• A. Glucagon
• B. Insulin
• C. Thyroxine
• D. Oxytocin

Question 2 · difficulty L2 · understanding

What type of feedback operates when uterine contractions stimulate oxytocin release and oxytocin strengthens further contractions?

• A. Positive feedback
• B. Negative feedback
• C. No feedback
• D. Counter-current exchange

Question 3 · difficulty L2 · understanding

Which pituitary hormone primarily stimulates milk production after childbirth?

• A. Oxytocin
• B. Prolactin
• C. FSH
• D. ACTH

Question 4 · difficulty L3 · application

An infant suckles normally, milk is being produced, but milk ejection is poor because a hormonal reflex is impaired. Which hormone is most directly deficient?

• A. Testosterone
• B. Prolactin
• C. Oxytocin
• D. TSH

Question 5 · difficulty L3 · application

Why is colostrum especially valuable to a newborn?

• A. It prevents all future infections
• B. It contains no proteins
• C. It permanently replaces the infant immune system
• D. It contains maternal antibodies that provide passive immune protection

Question 6 · difficulty L4 · analysis

During labour, stretching of the cervix increases neural signals that promote oxytocin release. What is the effect of this arrangement?

• A. It reinforces uterine contractions until delivery
• B. It progressively suppresses uterine contractions
• C. It stops cervical stretching immediately
• D. It inhibits all pituitary secretion

Question 7 · difficulty L5 · analysis

A mother has normal prolactin secretion but cannot release oxytocin in response to suckling. Which pattern is most likely?

• A. No milk is synthesised at all
• B. Milk is synthesised but its ejection is impaired
• C. Milk ejection is normal but synthesis stops
• D. The mammary glands become insensitive to prolactin automatically