IBCLC Practice Exam 2025 – Complete Preparation Guide

Prolactin is a hormone primarily responsible for stimulating milk production in the mammary glands and is released from the anterior pituitary gland. This gland produces various hormones essential for different bodily functions, including growth, metabolism, and reproductive processes. Prolactin's role in lactation is crucial, as its secretion increases during pregnancy and continues to be released during breastfeeding in response to suckling.

The other options pertain to different components of the body that do not produce prolactin. The posterior pituitary is important for the release of oxytocin and antidiuretic hormone (ADH), but it does not synthesize prolactin. The intermediate pituitary has a lesser-known function and does not primarily deal with prolactin secretion. The adrenal cortex produces steroid hormones such as cortisol, aldosterone, and androgens, and is unrelated to prolactin production. Thus, the anterior pituitary is the correct source for prolactin release.