Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-fscjk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T10:51:35.819Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Return of fertility in lactating and non-lactating women

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 July 2008

Sergio Zacharias ,
Eneida Aguilera ,
J. Robert Assenzo  and
Juan Zanartu
Sergio Zacharias
Affiliation:
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Jose Joaquin Aguirre University Hospital, University of Chile Medical School, Santiago, Chile
Eneida Aguilera
Affiliation:
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Jose Joaquin Aguirre University Hospital, University of Chile Medical School, Santiago, Chile
J. Robert Assenzo
Affiliation:
The Upjohn Company, Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA
Juan Zanartu
Affiliation:
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Jose Joaquin Aguirre University Hospital, University of Chile Medical School, Santiago, Chile
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

The return of fertility post-partum and the incidence of pregnancy were studied in 74 mothers who chose not to breast-feed and who wanted another pregnancy promptly (Group I) and 143 mothers who practised exclusive lactation and decided not to use contraceptives (Group II). Women who breast-fed had much lower pregnancy rates than those who did not. During the first 6 months of the study, there were 53 (72%) pregnancies among the Group I women and no pregnancies among Group II mothers. Only sixteen (11%) women in Group II discontinued the study because of inadequate milk secretion. The low rate of pregnancy and the low rates of inadequate milk secretion in Group II appear related to the special efforts made to promote breast-feeding and give proper instruction to the mothers in this group. The successful lactation is attributed to a high suckling frequency, night feedings, ample mother and child skin-to-skin contact, avoidance of bottle feeding for as long as possible, and the clinical staff's regular emotional support and encouragement to the nursing mother.

Type
Review
Information
Journal of Biosocial Science , Volume 19 , Issue 2 , April 1987 , pp. 163 - 169
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1987

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

American Academy of Pediatrics (1982) The promotion of breastfeeding. Pediatrics, 69, 654.Google Scholar
Bongaarts, J. & Potter, R. G. (1983) Fertility, biology, and behavior: an analysis of the proximate determinants. Studies in Population, 21, 51.Google Scholar
Breslow, N. A. (1970) A generalized Kruskal–Wallis test for comparing K samples subject to unequal patterns of censorship. Biometrika, 57, 579.Google Scholar
Diaz, S., Peralta, O., Juez, G., Herreros, C., Casado, M. E., Salvatierra, A. M., Miranda, P., Duran, E. & Croxatto, H. B. (1983) Fertility regulation in nursing women: III. Short-term influence of a low-dose combined oral contraceptive upon lactation and infant growth. Contraception, 27, 1.Google Scholar
Diaz, S., Peralta, O., Juez, G., Salvatierra, A. M., Casado, M. E., Duran, E. & Croxatto, H. B. (1982) Fertility regulation in nursing women: I. The probability of conception in full nursing women living in an urban setting. J. biosoc. Sci. 14, 329.Google Scholar
Gerrard, J. W. (1974) Breast-feeding: second thoughts. Pediatrics, 54, 757.Google Scholar
Glasier, A., McNeilly, A. S. & Howie, P. W. (1983) Fertility after childbirth: changes in serum gonadotropin levels in bottle and breast-feeding women. Clin. Endocr. 19, 493.Google Scholar
Jelliffe, D. B. & Jelliffe, E. F. (1975) Human milk, nutrition, and the world resource crisis. Science, N.Y. 188, 557.Google Scholar
Kaplan, E. L. & Meier, P. (1958) Non-parametric estimation from incomplete observations. J. Am. stat. Ass. 53, 457.Google Scholar
King, F. S. (1984) The first weeks of breast-feeding. IPPF med. Bull. 18, 2.Google Scholar
Knodel, J. (1977) Breast-feeding and population growth. Science, N.Y. 198, 1111.Google Scholar
Monckeberg, F. (1970) Factors conditioning malnutrition in Latin America with special reference to Chile: advice for a volunteer action. Bibl. Nutr. Dieta. 14, 23.Google Scholar
Perez Sanchez, A. (1984) Ginecologia, Chap. 13, p. 170. Publicaciones Tecnicas Mediterraneo, Santiago.Google Scholar
Prema, K., Naidu, A. N., Kumari, S. N. (1979) Lactation and fertility. Am. J. clin. Nutr. 32, 1298.Google Scholar
Romaniuk, A. (1981) Increase in natural fertility during the early stages of modernization: Canadian Indians case study. Demography, 18, 157.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Short, R. V. (1984) Breast-feeding. Scient. Am. 250, 35.Google Scholar
Thomas, D. G., Breslow, N. A. & Gart, J. J. (1977) Trend and homogeneity analyses of proportions and life table data. Comput. biomed. Res. 102, 373.Google Scholar
Wade, N. (1974) Bottle-feeding: adverse effects of a western technology. Science, N.Y. 184, 45.Google Scholar
World Health Organization (1983) Breast-feeding and fertility regulation: current knowledge and programme policy implications. A WHO/NRC meeting. Bull. Wld Hlth Org. 61, 371.Google Scholar
Young, H. B., Buckley, A. E., Hamza, B. & Mandarano, C. (1982) Milk and lactation: some social and developmental correlates among 1000 infants. Pediatrics, 69, 169.Google Scholar