ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of oral contraceptive (OC) treatment on maternal iron and copper metabolism during lactation. DESIGN: Observational study. SETTING: Private and public clinics in Brazil. PATIENT(S): Lactating mothers attending the family planning clinic of the University of Brasilia. INTERVENTION(S): The OCs used were a combination pill (0.15 mg of levonorgestrel and 0.03 mg of ethinyl estradiol) and a minipill (0.35 mg of norethidrone). Blood and breast milk samples were collected before and after a measured period of OC treatment. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Iron and copper concentrations were studied in the serum and breast milk of 54 breast-feeding mothers who had been advised by their physicians to use an OC, and in a control group. RESULT(S): Regression analysis was performed using a model that took into consideration socioeconomic status, number of children, duration of previous lactation, type of OC, length of treatment, and age. Repeated measurements (before and after OC treatment) showed that only copper concentrations in breast milk were significantly affected by stage of lactation. During the study period, which varied from 2-15 weeks, the decline in iron concentrations in breast milk was negligible, whereas copper concentrations decreased by 50%. CONCLUSION(S): The use of OCs does not appear to affect significantly the secretion of iron and copper in breast milk during the first 6 months of lactation.
PIP: This study examines the effects of oral contraceptive (OC) treatment on maternal iron and copper metabolism during lactation. The sample included lactating mothers attending the family planning clinic at the University of Brasilia. Participants were divided into 3 groups: 1) mothers who were taking combination pills (0.15 mg levonorgestrel and 0.03 mg ethinyl estradiol); 2) those who were taking minipills (0.35 mg norethindrone); and 3) a control group. Blood and breast milk samples were collected before and after a measured period of OC treatment. Results showed no significant effects of OC use on either iron or copper concentrations in serum during lactation. However, copper concentrations were significantly affected with the stage of lactation (iron, P = 0.9619; copper, P = 0.0002) as reflected in the multivariate model analysis. Therefore, the use of OCs does not appear to affect significantly the secretion of iron and copper in breast milk during the first 6 months of lactation.
Subject(s)
Contraceptives, Oral , Copper/analysis , Iron/analysis , Milk, Human/chemistry , Adolescent , Adult , Contraceptives, Oral, Combined , Copper/blood , Female , Humans , Iron/blood , LactationABSTRACT
Because of its unique features, the contraceptive effectiveness and tolerance during breast-feeding of 16-methylene-17 alpha-acetoxy-19-nor-4-pregnene-3,20-dione (elcometrine), delivered within a single subdermal capsule of medical grade polydimethylsiloxane, was investigated. Unlike other progestational steroids, elcometrine has no affinity for androgen and estrogen receptors and is inactive by the oral route. A total of 66 breast-feeding women receiving elcometrine by the subdermal route were enrolled in the study, and 69 women who elected to use Copper-T380 intrauterine devices (IUD) served as control subjects. The women and their infants were observed until the end of the first postpartum year. There were no significant differences in growth and development measurements among the infants in the elcometrine and control groups. The percentage of infants continuing to breast-feed at 3 and 6 months was significantly higher in the elcometrine group. There were no significant differences between the concentration of elcometrine in the mother's blood and milk. At 75 days, blood levels of elcometrine in the infants were near the undetectable and were significantly lower than the levels in maternal blood or milk (p < 0.01). In 15 of 25 infants, blood levels of elcometrine were at the limit of assay sensitivity or undetectable. Two pregnancies occurred in women using IUD, whereas none occurred in those using implants. There were menstrual bleeding irregularities in both groups. A single elcometrine capsule placed subcutaneously at 6-monthly intervals appears to be an effective method of contraception for lactating women and results in blood concentrations of nursing infants at or near undetectable levels.
PIP: Discusses the effects of the use of a single implant of elcometrine (ST-1435), a nonorally active progestin, as a long acting contraceptive for postpartum nursing women in Maternidade Climerio de Oliveira in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. A total of 135 women aged 18-35 years having a singleton term delivery, fully breast-feeding on demand, planning to breast-feed for 6 months postpartum, and requesting effective contraception were recruited. The method was initiated for 6 weeks postpartum. Results showed that 66 breast-feeding women used elcometrine implants, while 69 women preferred an IUD insertion. The contraceptive efficacy of lactation is high for women breast-feeding on demand, particularly in those who remain in amenorrhea during the 6 months postpartum; in these women, elcometrine implant and IUD prevented pregnancy effectively. Breast-feeding was significantly higher (p 0.05) in the elcometrine group at 3 and 6 months, while at 9 and 12 months there was no statistical difference. The differences in type, frequency of supplementary feeding, and anthropometric measures between the two contraceptive groups were not significant. Menstrual irregularities were present in both groups. Thus, elcometrine could be best alternative and the most effective method of contraception for lactating women.
Subject(s)
Breast Feeding , Child Development , Contraceptive Agents, Female/administration & dosage , Intrauterine Devices, Copper , Norprogesterones/administration & dosage , Postpartum Period , Adult , Amenorrhea , Body Constitution , Body Weight , Contraceptive Agents, Female/pharmacokinetics , Drug Implants , Female , Humans , Infant , Menstruation , Milk, Human/chemistry , Norprogesterones/pharmacokineticsABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Oral contraceptives (OC) are the most efficient method of contraception and it is the most prescribed by doctors in developing countries. Therefore we studied the effects of combination pill and mini-pill on calcium and phosphorus in milk of breast-feeding mothers at different stages of lactation. METHODS: Fifty-four breast-feeding mothers made up three study groups: 33 mothers who had been advised by their doctors to use either combination pill (12), or mini-pill (21), as well as a control group of 21 mothers that used no hormonal contraceptives. All mothers completed a questionnaire and provided samples of milk before and after a measured period of observation. Mean duration of study was 76, 120, and 101 days, respectively for users of mini-pill, combination pill, and controls. Determination of calcium and phosphorus was done by inductively coupled plasma-atomic absorption spectrometry. RESULTS: Overall the decrease in milk concentrations of phosphorus (6%) and calcium (26.3%) during the study period was not influenced by OC treatment. Regression analyses which took into consideration length of treatment, socioeconomic status, number of children, duration of previous lactation, type of contraceptive, and age of mothers and repeated measurements (before and after OC) showed that milk calcium was significantly affected by stage of lactation (p=0.0013). CONCLUSION: The use of hormonal contraceptive such as the combination pill (levonorgestrel 0.15 mg+ethynilestradiol 0.03 mg) and mini-pill (norethindone 0.35 mg) does not seem to affect the secretion of calcium and phosphorus in milk of mothers.
PIP: This article is based on a study of the effects of oral contraceptives (OCs) on the concentration of calcium and phosphorus in breast milk among 54 lactating Brazilian women. Confounding constitutional variables were considered which include maternal age, previous lactation, length of breast-feeding, and variables associated with contraception, such as type and length of use. The subjects were divided into 3 groups: 12 using combination pills, 21 using mini-pills, and a control group of 21 mothers that used no hormonal contraceptives. Milk was sampled before and after a measured period of observation. The mean durations of study were 76, 120, and 101 days, respectively, for users of mini-pills, combination pills, and controls. The determination of calcium and phosphorous was done by inductively coupled plasma-atomic absorption spectrometry. The results indicate that a mean stage of lactation at start of treatment for the 3 groups ranged from 2.5 to 4 months. Both calcium and phosphorous declined in concentration with time, confounded with OC treatment. There was no significant difference for calcium concentration due to OC treatment, only stage of lactation, per se, was a significant source of variation for calcium concentration. As lactation progressed, the calcium and phosphorous concentration decreased for all mothers. Therefore, short-term use of OCs containing estrogen do not affect calcium and phosphorous concentrations in breast milk.
Subject(s)
Calcium/analysis , Contraceptives, Oral/adverse effects , Lactation , Milk, Human/chemistry , Phosphorus/analysis , Adolescent , Adult , Contraceptives, Oral, Combined/adverse effects , Ethinyl Estradiol/administration & dosage , Ethinyl Estradiol/adverse effects , Female , Humans , Levonorgestrel/administration & dosage , Levonorgestrel/adverse effects , Norethindrone/administration & dosage , Norethindrone/adverse effects , Regression AnalysisABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To determine the muscular efficiency of lactating women and compare it to that of nonpregnant, nonlactating (NPNL) women. DESIGN: The study was retrospective. The subjects were selected randomly in the two groups and studied on three occasions (rounds) separated by approximately three months. SUBJECTS: There were 109, 101, and 80 NPNL women and 45, 31 and 16 lactating women in rounds 1, 2 and 3 respectively, 19-43 y of age, living under economically deprived conditions in Cali, Colombia, who participated in the study. METHODS: Muscular efficiency was measured as delta efficiency on a cycle ergometer. RESULTS: Muscular efficiency was significantly higher in lactating women in all three rounds compared to NPNL women. In six women it was possible to measure efficiency at variable times prior to their pregnancies, and again during lactation about three months post partum. There was a statistically significant (P = 0.03) increase in muscular efficiency during lactation. CONCLUSION: Lactation results in about a 5% increase in muscular efficiency which may contribute to the adaptation of the mother to the increased energy demands associated with lactation.
PIP: The muscular efficiency of low-income lactating women living in Cali, Colombia, was compared to that of nonpregnant, nonlactating women from the same neighborhoods in a retrospective study that involved 3 rounds separated by about 3 months. Rounds 1, 2, and 3 (occurring at an average of 2.4, 5.3, and 8.6 months postpartum) included 109, 101, and 80 nonpregnant, nonlactating women, respectively, and 45, 31, and 16 lactating women, respectively. Muscular efficiency, measured as delta efficiency on a cycle ergometer, was significantly higher among lactating than nonlactating, nonpregnant women in all 3 rounds. In the 6 women in whom it was possible to measure muscular efficiency at variable times prior to their pregnancy as well as at 3 months postpartum, there was a statistically significant increase in muscular efficiency during lactation. Overall, lactation resulted in about a 5% increase in muscular efficiency. This phenomenon may contribute to the adaptation of the mother to the increased energy demands associated with breast feeding.
Subject(s)
Lactation/physiology , Muscle, Skeletal/physiology , Physical Exertion , Adult , Bicycling , Body Mass Index , Body Weight , Colombia , Energy Metabolism , Ergometry , Female , Humans , Retrospective StudiesABSTRACT
Although breast-feeding is widely accepted as important for infant health, its benefits during the second year of life have been questioned. We analyzed data from 107 breast-fed and weaned Peruvian children living in a periurban community to determine whether breast milk contributed to improved linear growth between 12 and 15 mo of age. Breast-feeding frequency was self-reported; intakes of complementary foods and animal products were estimated from a food-frequency survey. Multivariate-linear-regression analysis was used to predict the length of the children at 15 mo of age. Determinants of length included length and weight-for-length at 12 mo of age (US National Center for Health Statistics standards), interval between 12- and 15-mo measurements, breast-feeding frequency, incidence of diarrhea, and intakes of complementary and animal-product foods. Complementary foods, animal-product foods, and breast milk all promoted toddlers' linear growth. In subjects with low intakes of animal-product foods, breast-feeding was positively associated (P < 0.05) with linear growth. There was a 0.5-cm/3 mo difference in linear growth between weaned toddlers and children who consumed the average number of feedings of breast milk. Linear growth was also positively associated with intake of animal-product foods in children with low intakes of complementary foods. The negative association between diarrhea and linear growth did not occur in subjects with high complementary-food intakes. When the family's diet is low in quality, breast milk is an especially important source of energy, protein, and accompanying micronutrients in young children. Thus, continued breast-feeding after 1 y of age, in conjunction with feeding of complementary foods, should be encouraged in toddlers living in poor circumstances.
PIP: The contribution of prolonged breast feeding to linear growth at 12-15 months of age was investigated in 107 breast-fed and weaned toddlers from a low-income neighborhood in Lima, Peru. The median duration of breast feeding in this sample was 17.1 months; by 15 months, 46 children had been weaned. The prevalence of stunting (length-for-age score -2 SD below the reference standard) was 17.8% at 12 months and 24.3% at 15 months; no child was wasted. Complementary foods, animal product foods, and breast milk all promoted toddlers' linear growth. In children with low intakes of animal product foods, breast feeding was positively associated with linear growth at 15 months (p 0.05). There was a 0.5 cm/3 months difference in linear growth between weaned toddlers and those who consumed the average number (6.3/day) of breast feeds. Linear growth was further positively associated with intake of animal product foods in children with low intakes of complementary foods. The negative association between diarrhea and linear growth did not occur in children with high intakes of complementary foods. When the household diet is of poor quality, breast feeding is an especially important source of energy, protein, and micronutrients in toddlers and should be continued beyond 12 months of age in conjunction with the provision of complementary foods. Breast milk not only added to the total diet of these young children, but also potentiated the beneficial effects of complementary foods consumed by increasing their growth promotion capacity.
Subject(s)
Breast Feeding , Growth , Infant Food , Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena , Meat , Animals , Cattle , Diarrhea, Infantile/epidemiology , Diet Surveys , Humans , Incidence , Infant , Peru , Population Surveillance/methods , Poverty , Regression Analysis , Urban PopulationABSTRACT
Vitamin B-12 status was evaluated in 113 Guatemalan women and their infants at 3 mo of lactation. Plasma vitamin B-12 was deficient or low in 46.7% of the mothers, and holotranscobalamin II (holo TC II) concentrations were low in 32.3%, which may indicate vitamin B-12 malabsorption. Only 9% had deficient or low plasma folate. Breast milk vitamin B-12 was low in 31%, and negatively correlated with infant urinary methylmalonic acid (UMMA, r = -0.22, P < 0.05, n = 88); UMMA was elevated in 12.2% of the infants, indicating vitamin B-12 deficiency. Mothers of the infants with elevated UMMA had significantly lower concentrations of vitamin B-12 in their breast milk compared with mothers of infants with normal UMMA concentrations (410.7 +/- 247.7 vs. 705.3 +/- 487.5 pmol/L, P = 0.05, n = 87). Mean maternal dietary intake of vitamin B-12 was significantly correlated with plasma vitamin B-12 (r = 0.20, P = 0. 05, n = 94) and was the main determinant of plasma vitamin B-12 in a linear regression model. Determinants of maternal holo TC II concentrations included dietary intake of vitamin B-12 and Giardia lamblia infection. There were no statistically significant determinants of infant UMMA concentrations. We conclude that vitamin B-12 deficiency is highly prevalent in these lactating women and is associated with depletion of the vitamin in their infants. The cause of the maternal deficiency is unknown, but malabsorption exacerbated by low dietary intake of the vitamin is a possibility.
PIP: This study evaluated vitamin B-12 status in 113 Guatemalan women and their infants at 3 months of lactation. Findings revealed that plasma vitamin B-12 was deficient or low in 46.7% of the mothers and that holotranscobalamin II (holo TC II) concentrations were low in 32.3%, which may indicate vitamin B-12 malabsorption. Only 9% had deficient or low plasma folate. Breast milk vitamin B-12 was low in 31% and negatively correlated with infant urinary methylmalonic acid (UMMA). UMMA was elevated in 12.2% of the infants, indicating vitamin B-12 deficiency. Mothers of the infants with elevated UMMA had significantly lower concentrations of vitamin B-12 in their breast milk compared with mothers of infants with normal UMMA concentrations. Mean maternal dietary intake of vitamin B-12 was significantly correlated with plasma vitamin B-12 and was the main determinant of plasma vitamin B-12 in a linear regression model. Determinants of maternal holo TC II concentrations included dietary intake of vitamin B-12 and Giardia lamblia infection. There were no statistically significant determinants of infant UMMA concentrations. This study concludes that vitamin B-12 deficiency is highly prevalent in these lactating women and is associated with the depletion of the vitamin in their infants. The cause of the maternal deficiency is unknown, but malabsorption, exacerbated by low dietary intake of the vitamin, is a possibility.
Subject(s)
Lactation/blood , Vitamin B 12 Deficiency/epidemiology , Adult , Anthropometry , Female , Guatemala/epidemiology , Humans , Infant , Methylmalonic Acid/urine , Milk, Human/chemistry , Parity , Prevalence , Social Class , Vitamin B 12/analysis , Vitamin B 12/metabolism , Vitamin B 12 Deficiency/blood , Vitamin B 12 Deficiency/diagnosisABSTRACT
Energy-sparing mechanisms may be elicited to meet increased energy requirements imposed by lactation on women who reside in poor, rural communities in developing countries. The objectives of this study were to measure total energy expenditure and its components, basal and activity energy expenditure, and to investigate their relationships with lactation performance in a total of 40 rural Mesoamerindians stratified according to postpartum body mass index. Total energy expenditure and fat-free mass were measured by the doubly labeled water method, and basal metabolic rate was determined by indirect calorimetry at 3 and 6 mo postpartum. Physical activity level was taken as the ratio of total energy expenditure to basal metabolic rate. Milk energy output, which is not included in total energy expenditure, was computed from 24-h milk intake (test-weighing) and energy concentration of milk (bomb calorimetry). Anthropometric measurements revealed negligible mobilization of tissue stores. Mean (+/- SD) total energy expenditures were 8912 +/- 1296 kJ/d and 9253 +/- 1298 kJ/d for the lower and higher body mass index groups, respectively. Adjusted for fat-free mass, total energy expenditure was higher in the lower body mass index group (P = 0.05). Adjusted for fat-free mass, basal metabolic rate did not differ between groups. Physical activity level was significantly higher in the lower body mass index group (P = 0.03). Lactation performance did not differ between groups and was not associated with total energy expenditure or its components. Despite the maintenance of energy balance and heightened energy requirements of lactation, energy-sparing mechanisms were not evident in these lactating Mesoamerindians.
PIP: The authors measured total energy expenditure and its components, basal and activity energy expenditure, and investigated their relationships with lactation performance among 40 rural Mesoamerindians stratified according to postpartum body mass index. Total energy expenditure and fat-free mass were measured by the doubly-labeled water method, and basal metabolic rate was determined by indirect calorimetry at 3 and 6 months postpartum. The ratio of total energy expenditure to basal metabolic rate identified the physical activity level, while milk energy output was computed from 24-hour milk intake test and the energy concentration of milk. Anthropometric measurements identified negligible mobilization of tissue stores. Mean total energy expenditures were 8912 kJ/day and 9253 kJ/day for the lower and higher body mass index groups, respectively. Adjusted for fat-free mass, total energy expenditure was higher in the lower body mass index group, although the basal metabolic rate did not differ between groups. The physical activity level was significantly higher in the lower body mass index group. Lactation performance did not differ between groups and was not associated with total energy expenditure or its components. Despite the maintenance of energy balance and heightened energy requirements of lactation, energy-sparing mechanisms were not evident in these lactating Mesoamerindians.
Subject(s)
Energy Metabolism , Indians, North American , Lactation/metabolism , Motor Activity/physiology , Adolescent , Adult , Basal Metabolism , Body Mass Index , Eating , Female , Humans , Longitudinal Studies , Mexico , Milk, Human/metabolismABSTRACT
The authors conducted a case-control study in Mexico City between September 1990 and December 1992 to determine whether a dose-response relation could be observed between duration of lactation and the risk of breast cancer. Cases, women aged 20-75 years, were identified through six hospitals in Mexico City (n = 349) and were interviewed to obtain data on risk factors for breast cancer, including a detailed history of lactation. Controls (n = 1,005) were selected from the general population using the Mexican national sampling frame. Parous women who had ever lactated had a reduction in breast cancer risk (age-adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 0.39, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.25-0.62). A small decreasing trend of breast cancer risk in relation to duration of lactation (p < 0.001) was observed. Compared with parous women who had never breast-fed, women who had breast-fed for 12-24 months had an age-adjusted odds ratio of 0.47 (95% CI 0.27-0.83). A stronger protective effect was observed with lactation duration for the first live birth among pre- and postmenopausal women (for 4-12 months of lactation, OR = 0.56 (95 percent CI 0.32-0.96) and OR = 0.48 (95 percent CI 0.29-0.81) in pre- and postmenopausal women, respectively). Adjusting for potentially confounding factors modified these results only slightly. The declining trend in fertility and lactation among Mexican women could lead to a major epidemic of breast cancer such as that observed in Western countries.
Subject(s)
Breast Neoplasms/epidemiology , Lactation , Adult , Aged , Breast Feeding , Case-Control Studies , Female , Humans , Mexico/epidemiology , Middle Aged , Odds Ratio , ParityABSTRACT
We studied the relationship between IgA anti-campylobacter flagellin antibodies in breast milk samples and protection of breastfed infants living in a rural Mexican village from campylobacter infection. There were fewer episodes of campylobacter infection (symptomatic and asymptomatic combined) in infants breastfed with milk containing specific anti-flagellin antibodies (1.2/child/year, 95% CI 0.6-1.8) versus non-breastfed children (3.3/child/year, 95% CI 1.8-4.8; P < 0.01). Infants breastfed with milk that was anti-flagellin antibody negative by ELISA also had fewer episodes of infection compared with non-breastfed children, but the difference did not reach statistical significance (1.8/child/year, 95% CI 0.7-3.0 versus 3.3/child/year, 95% CI 1.8-4.8, P > 0.05). Breastfeeding has a protective effect against campylobacter infection and is associated with the presence of specific antibodies directed against campylobacter flagellin.
Subject(s)
Antibodies, Bacterial/analysis , Breast Feeding , Campylobacter Infections/epidemiology , Campylobacter jejuni/immunology , Diarrhea, Infantile/epidemiology , Flagellin/immunology , Immunoglobulin A/analysis , Milk, Human/chemistry , Analysis of Variance , Campylobacter Infections/immunology , Campylobacter Infections/microbiology , Campylobacter Infections/prevention & control , Confidence Intervals , Diarrhea, Infantile/immunology , Diarrhea, Infantile/microbiology , Diarrhea, Infantile/prevention & control , Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay , Feces/microbiology , Humans , Infant , Infant, Newborn , Mexico/epidemiology , Prospective Studies , Rural PopulationABSTRACT
Variation in the duration and pattern of breast-feeding contributes significantly to inter-population differences in fertility. In this paper, measures of suckling frequency and intensity are used to compare the effects of breast-feeding practices on the duration of lactational amenorrhoea, and on the length of the birth interval in three prospective studies undertaken during the 1980s, among Quechua Indians of Peru, Turkana nomads of Kenya, and Gainj of Papua New Guinea. In all three societies, lactation is prolonged well into the second year postpartum, and frequent, on-demand breast-feeding is the norm. However, the duration of lactational amenorrhoea and the length of birth intervals vary considerably. Breast-feeding patterns among Gainj and Turkana are similar, but Turkana women resume menses some 3 months earlier than do the Gainj. The average birth interval among the Gainj exceeds that of nomadic Turkana by over 15 months. Suckling activity decreases significantly with increasing age of nurslings among both Gainj and Quechua, but not among Turkana. Earlier resumption of menses among Turkana women may be linked to the unpredictable demands of the pastoral system, which increase day-to-day variation in the number of periods of on-demand breast-feeding, although not in suckling patterns. This effect is independent of the age of infants. The short birth intervals of Turkana women, relative to those of the Gainj, may be related to early supplementation of Turkana nurslings with butterfat and animals' milk, which reduces energetic demands on lactating women at risk of negative energy balance.
PIP: Between July 1989 and late February 1990. an anthropologist observed breast feeding patterns of 24 mother-infant pairs of the nomadic Ngisonyoka Turkana in Kenya to determine suckling frequency and intensity and their effect on the duration of lactational amenorrhea and the length of the birth interval. She compared her results with those of studies of the Gainj of Papua New Guinea and of the Quechua Indians of Peru, studies which used the same unite of analysis as the Turkana study. Prolonged lactation and frequent, on-demand ruled in each group. Turkana infants suckled all day and night, with each nursing period being 1-2 minutes long and with 10-15 minutes between each period. The Gainj also had prolonged lactation and similar nursing sessions. On the other hand, the Quechua clumped their breast feeding sessions, which were longer than those of both the Turkana and the Gainj. Turkana birth intervals were shorter than those of Gainj (29 vs. 44.3 months). Turkana women also had a higher fertility rate than did the Gainj (6.5 vs. 4 live births). Suckling activity fell considerably as age increased for Gainj and Quechua infants, but not for Turkana infants. Early introduction of butterfat from goats' and camels' milk during the first few weeks after birth and the daily difference in amount of suckling during the lactational period due to variable maternal work schedules (based on the labor demand of the pastoral system of the Turkana) reduced the effect of age. In conclusion, differences in the length and pattern of breast feeding practices account for much of the interpopulation variation in fertility.
Subject(s)
Birth Intervals , Breast Feeding , Cross-Cultural Comparison , Indians, South American , Transients and Migrants , Adult , Analysis of Variance , Energy Metabolism , Female , Fertility , Humans , Infant , Infant Food , Infant, Newborn , Kenya , Male , Menstruation , Middle Aged , Papua New Guinea , Peru , Prospective Studies , Regression Analysis , Time Factors , WorkABSTRACT
The composition of breast milk from brazilian mothers delivering low birthweight infants and its adequacy as a source of nutrients for this group has not yet been fully elucidated. A total of 209 milk samples from 66 women were analysed. The mothers were divided into three groups: G1, mothers delivering term babies of low birthweight (TSGA, n = 16); G2, mothers delivering preterm babies of appropriate birthweight (PTAGA, n = 20); G3, mothers delivering term babies of appropriate birthweight (TAGA, n = 30). The following factors were analysed: osmolarity, total proteins and protein fractions, creamatocrit, sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium. Milk samples were collected 48 h and 7, 15, 30 and 60 days after delivery. The groups did not differ significantly in terms of osmolarity, total proteins and fractions, creamatocrit, calcium, magnesium or potassium throughout the study period. Sodium levels were higher in all samples from mothers of TSGA infants and in samples from mothers of PTAGA infants on the 7th, 15th and 30th days than in milk from the TAGA group. The authors consider the needs of the low birthweight and TAGA infants and that these high sodium levels may be necessary for growth of low birthweight infants.
Subject(s)
Infant, Small for Gestational Age , Milk, Human/chemistry , Brazil , Breast Feeding , Female , Humans , Infant, Newborn , Male , Milk, Human/physiology , Nutritional Requirements , Sodium/analysisABSTRACT
Influence of environment and lactation patterns on amenorrhea duration and frequency of ovulation before the first menstrual bleeding postpartum are studied on a group of 100 women (half rural, half from urban areas). All subjects studied were highly motivated to breastfeed for prolonged periods. Results show a more prolonged amenorrhea, although not statistically significant, in those women from the rural zone. Ovulation frequency before the first vaginal bleeding was 14% none ovulated before six months.
PIP: 100 women in Yucatan, Mexico, participated in a longitudinal and prospective study of the influence of lactation patterns and rural or urban residence on the duration of amenorrhea and the frequency of ovulation before the first postpartum menstrual period. 50 women from the city of Merida and 50 from nearby villages were followed until their first postpartum menstruation. The women were of lower socioeconomic status and aged 20-31 years. All had breast fed at least two older children and none used contraception before the first postpartum menstruation. 25 women in each residence group practiced exclusive breast feeding in the first months and 25 mixed bottle and breast feeding. The women kept records of the number of nursing episodes or bottles given, and collected 24-hour urine samples weekly beginning in the fourth postpartum month for urinary pregnanediol determination. Monthly blood samples were obtained before and after nursing to measure prolactin levels. Ten of the 100 women withdrew before completion of the study. The women in all four subgroups were very similar in age, education, and family size. The average duration of amenorrhea was 10.58 months for the 49 rural women and 8.02 months for the 44 urban women, but the difference was not statistically significant. The 11.02 month duration of amenorrhea of the exclusively breast feeding mothers was significantly longer than the 7.34 months of the partially breast feeding group. At six months postpartum, nine exclusively breast feeding and 22 partially breast feeding mothers had resumed menstruation. 75 of the women (88.3%) resumed menstruation within one year. 13 women (14.4%) ovulated before the first menstruation, with an average duration of amenorrhea of 9.8 months. None of the women became pregnant before the first menstruation. Prolactin levels were significantly lower in the women who ovulated before the first menstruation.
Subject(s)
Amenorrhea , Breast Feeding/statistics & numerical data , Lactation , Adult , Amenorrhea/blood , Female , Humans , Lactation/blood , Mexico , Prolactin/blood , Prospective Studies , Rural Population , Time Factors , Urban PopulationABSTRACT
PIP: Family planning providers do not agree on whether it is good clinical practice to administer Norplant or Depo-Provera to mothers shortly after delivery. Manufacturers of both contraceptives recommend that providers not prescribe them before 6 weeks postpartum for lactating mothers. The hormones enter the breast milk, but the amount is minimal, and no studies show the small amount of hormones to be harmful. Some providers point to this lack of data as a reason to prescribe them to mothers immediately after delivery because progestin-only pills do neat adversely affect breast feeding. Some providers even claim Norplant should be inserted no later than 3 weeks. On the other hand, other providers, like a physician from Chile, stress that the lack of studies does not mean it is safe, just that there have not been enough studies. The Chilean physician is investigating the effect of hormones on infant health and central nervous system development. A nurse midwife at the University Medical Center in Jacksonville, Florida, reports that no woman using Depo-Provera has complained of breast-feeding problems. More than 50% of postpartum women leave this hospital after receiving an injection of Depo-Provera and those who do not come back for their 3-month injection are those who did not receive proper prenatal counseling about its side effects. The most upsetting side effect is bleeding which becomes less stressful with adequate counseling. Depo-provera extends the normal postpartum bleeding by a month. A director of services at a family planning clinic in San Marcos, Texas, notes that proper counseling, both before insertion and before removal, is also the key to proper management of Norplant acceptors. Providers at this clinic insert it 6 weeks postpartum. Hispanic women in San Marcos are concerned about bleeding because their partners do not want to have sex with a bleeding partner. Another side effect concerning clients is weight gain.^ieng
Subject(s)
Breast Feeding , Counseling , Evaluation Studies as Topic , Lactation , Medroxyprogesterone Acetate , Mothers , Postpartum Period , Ambulatory Care Facilities , Americas , Biology , Chile , Contraception , Contraceptive Agents , Contraceptive Agents, Female , Developed Countries , Developing Countries , Family Characteristics , Family Planning Services , Family Relations , Florida , Health , Health Planning , Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena , Latin America , North America , Nutritional Physiological Phenomena , Organization and Administration , Parents , Physiology , Pregnancy , Reproduction , South America , United StatesABSTRACT
We compared growth, dietary intake, and morbidity of infants breast-fed for > or = 12 mo from two populations: Davis, CA (n = 46) and Huascar, Peru (n = 52). When compared against WHO reference data (based primarily on formula-fed infants), Huascar infants appeared to falter as early as 3-4 mo, but when compared with Davis breast-fed infants, the curves for weight and length were very similar in girls until 10-12 mo and in boys until 6-9 mo. Thereafter, Huascar infants grew less rapidly than did Davis infants. Breast milk intake was very similar between groups, but in Huascar the amount and nutrient density of complementary foods consumed after 6 mo were lower and morbidity rates were much higher than in Davis. These results indicate that growth faltering of Huascar infants, when judged against breast-fed infants in the United States, occurs primarily after the first 6 mo of life and is not due to poor lactation performance.
Subject(s)
Breast Feeding , Infant Food , Animals , Body Height , Body Weight , Eating , Energy Intake , Female , Humans , Infant , Male , Milk, Human , Peru , Poverty , United StatesABSTRACT
We conducted a prospective, community-based study of healthy breast-fed Mexican infants to determine the protective effects of anti-Shigella secretory IgA antibodies in milk. Milk samples were collected monthly, and stool culture specimens were obtained weekly and at the time of episodes of diarrhea. Nineteen breast-fed infants were found to have Shigella flexneri, Shigella boydii, or Shigella sonnei in stool samples. Ages of the 10 infants with symptomatic infection and the nine with asymptomatic infection did not differ significantly. Milk samples collected up to 12 weeks before infection were evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for secretory IgA antibodies against lipopolysaccharides of S. flexneri, S. boydii serotype 2, S. sonnei, and virulence plasmid-associated antigens. The geometric mean titers of anti-Shigella antibodies to virulence plasmid-associated antigens in milk received before infection were eightfold higher in infants who remained well than in those in whom diarrhea developed. The significance of milk secretory IgA directed against lipopolysaccharide was less clear. We conclude that human milk protects infants against symptomatic shigella infection when it contains high concentrations of secretory IgA against virulence plasmid-associated antigens.
Subject(s)
Antigens, Bacterial/immunology , Breast Feeding , Dysentery, Bacillary/immunology , Immunoglobulin A, Secretory/analysis , Milk, Human/immunology , Plasmids/immunology , Shigella boydii/immunology , Shigella flexneri/immunology , Shigella sonnei/immunology , Dysentery, Bacillary/epidemiology , Dysentery, Bacillary/microbiology , Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay , Feces/microbiology , Humans , Infant , Infant, Newborn , Mexico/epidemiology , Prognosis , Prospective Studies , Seroepidemiologic Studies , Shigella boydii/isolation & purification , Shigella boydii/pathogenicity , Shigella flexneri/isolation & purification , Shigella flexneri/pathogenicity , Shigella sonnei/isolation & purification , Shigella sonnei/pathogenicity , Urban Population/statistics & numerical data , Virulence/immunologyABSTRACT
We compared the lactation performance of 165 healthy mothers who planned to breastfeed and gave birth by vaginal delivery, without complications to a healthy infant in either a nursery (NUR) (n = 58) or a rooming-in hospital where formula supplementation was not allowed. In the rooming-in hospital, women were randomly assigned to a group that received breastfeeding guidance during the hospital stay (RIBFG) (n = 53) or to a control group (RI) (n = 54). Women were interviewed in the hospital and at 8, 70 and 135 days post-partum (pp). The groups were similar in socio-economic, demographic, anthropometric, previous breastfeeding experience and prenatal care variables. Non-parametric survival analyses adjusting for potential confounding factors show that breastfeeding guidance had a positive impact (P < or = 0.05) on breastfeeding duration among primiparous women who delivered in the rooming-in hospital. Among primiparae, the RI and RIBFG groups had higher (P < or = 0.05) full breastfeeding rates than the NUR group in the short term. In the longer term, only the difference between the RIBFG and the NUR group remained statistically significant. The maternity ward system did not have a statistically significant effect on the lactation performance of multiparae.
Subject(s)
Breast Feeding , Nurseries, Hospital , Postnatal Care , Adolescent , Adult , Analysis of Variance , Female , Humans , Infant, Newborn , Length of Stay , Mexico , Patient Education as Topic , Poverty , Rooming-in Care , Survival AnalysisABSTRACT
Anthropometry, body composition and dietary intake of 30 lactating Otomi Indians of Capulhuac, Mexico, were studied to identify maternal factors which potentially limit lactation and thereby infant growth. Human milk production, milk composition, and maternal dietary intake, body weight, skinfold thicknesses, and body composition were measured at 4 and 6 months postpartum. The 2H2O dose-to-mother method was used to estimate milk production and maternal total body water (TBW). Fat-free mass (FFM) was calculated as TBW/0.73. Body fat was computed as body weight minus FFM. Human milk samples were analyzed for energy, nitrogen, lactose and fat using standard analytical methods. Maternal diet was assessed by three 24-h intake recalls. Mean (SD) milk production was 885 (146) and 869 (150) g/d at 4 and 6 months, respectively. Milk concentrations of protein nitrogen (1.23 (0.17) mg/g) and lactose (66.6 (2.8) mg/g) were comparable to, but the concentrations of fat (22.2 (6.7) mg/g) and energy (0.54 (0.06) kcal/g) were lower than, values observed in economically privileged populations. Maternal height, weight, and BMI were 1.47 (0.06) m, 50.3 (6.0) kg, and 23.4 (3.1) kg/m2, respectively. Maternal TBW, FFM and body fat were 55.8 (4.6)%, 76.4 (6.3)%, and 23.6 (6.4)%, expressed as a percentage of body weight, respectively. Maternal energy and protein intakes averaged 1708 (338) kcal/d and 40 (10) g/d, respectively. Milk production was negatively correlated with maternal body fat (P = 0.006). Energy and fat concentrations in the milk of the Otomi women were positively related to their weight (P = 0.002), BMI (P = 0.05), and body fat (P = 0.004). Energy concentrations in milk were not related to rates of milk production (r = 0.24; P = 0.23). Nor was milk production or composition significantly associated with maternal dietary intake. Lactation performance of these Otomi women correlated significantly with maternal body size and composition, but not current dietary intake.
PIP: Researchers analyzed data on 30 postpartum women from the Otomi Indian community living in rural Capulhuac, Mexico to examine interrelationships among lactation performance, maternal body size/composition, and dietary intake to learn which maternal factors limit lactation and thus infant growth. Infant food supplementation was minimal. Current diet did not affect milk production or levels of energy and fat in milk. Even though the body mass index (BMI) was lower than the normal range (19.8-26 kg/sq meter) for only 2 women, 8 women had 20% body fat indicating considerable undernutrition. Women consumed a mean of 68% and 80% of energy and protein requirements. Mean energy intakes (kcal/kg/day) at 4 and 6 months postpartum were 33.8 and 35.1 respectively, compared with the recommended 51. Mean protein intakes (g/kg/day) were 0.75 and 0.84 respectively compared with the recommended 1.1 3-day intake records based on memory, estimation of portion sizes, food preparation, and food composition data led to the above energy intake results, but they may not have been accurate since a mean of 35 would not allow much physical activity. Fats and carbohydrates mainly from maize made up 17% and 76% respectively of the Otomi diet suggesting a suboptimal diet. Yet human milk production rates (885 g/day at 4 months and 869 g/day at 6 months) tended to equal or be higher than those of women of higher socioeconomic status (711-925 g/day) and other poor women (525-789 g/day). The greater the levels of maternal body fat the smaller the amount of milk women produced (p=.006). Total nitrogen, protein nitrogen, lactose, and nonprotein nitrogen levels fell within the range of that of privileged women. Fat and energy levels in the milk were lower than those of privileged women, however heavy women (p=.002) with high BMI (p=.05) and body fat (p=.004) levels tended to have high levels of energy and fat in the milk. Energy levels in milk were not linked with milk production. Neither milk production nor composition were related to dietary intake.
Subject(s)
Anthropometry , Body Composition , Indians, North American , Lactation Disorders/epidemiology , Nutrition Surveys , Adipose Tissue/chemistry , Adult , Body Constitution , Body Water , Body Weight , Cross-Sectional Studies , Dietary Proteins/analysis , Energy Intake , Energy Metabolism , Humans , Lactation Disorders/complications , Lactation Disorders/etiology , Mexico/epidemiology , Milk, Human/chemistry , Risk FactorsABSTRACT
Energy, protein, lactose and fat were studied in the milk of mothers who were using different types of contraceptives. One hundred and eleven mothers made up the following groups. C: control (barrier and natural methods, or sterilization), n = 22; combined pill: LDP (low dose pill (levonorgestrel 0.15 mg + ethinylestradiol 0.03 mg)), n = 12 and MDP (medium dose pill (levonorgestrel 0.25 mg + ethinylestradiol 0.05 mg)), n = 13; MP (minipill (norethindrone 0.35 mg)), n = 37; DMPA (injectable progesterone (depot medroxiprogesterone acetate 150 mg)), n = 17; and IUD (plastic or copper intrauterine device), n = 10. The mean stages of lactation were, respectively, 15, 17, 5, 9, 5 and 9 weeks. The mean duration of observation for the study groups ranged from 2 to 4 weeks. Milk samples were collected before and after initiation of treatment (mean = 20 days; range = 14-103 days). The stage of lactation and the interval of nursing before sampling were recorded so that statistical account could be taken of these uncontrollable sources of variability. When incorporated as covariates, they showed that no significant differences existed between the groups tested, either before or after treatment.
PIP: Researchers compared data on 22 women using either a barrier method or a natural family planning method or had undergone female sterilization (controls) with data on 89 women using either a low dose combined oral contraceptive (OC), a medium dose combined OC, a low dose progestin only OC, the injectable Depo-Provera, or an IUD to examine the hormonal contraceptives' effects on the concentration of total protein, lipids, lactose, and energy in human milk. They recruited the women from private and public family planning clinics in Brasilia, Brazil between 1984 and 1987. The mean stages of lactation were 15 weeks for controls, 17 weeks for women using the combined low dose OC, 5 weeks for those using the combined medium dose OC, 5 weeks for those using the combined medium dose OC, 9 weeks for those using the low dose progestin only OC, 5 weeks for those using Depo-Provera, and 9 weeks for those using the IUD. Almost all the concentrations of total protein, lipids, lactose, and energy both before and after contraceptive therapy fell within the range for healthy women. The mean value of total protein in women using Depo-Provera was the only value higher than that range. The low dose OC was associated with a considerable increase in fat (3 g/dL vs. 4.8 g/dL; p=.035). Women taking the medium dose OC experienced a significant decrease in lactose (6.8 g/dL vs. 7.25 g.dL; p=.004). The time between last nursing and milk sample collection (nursing interval) caused considerable variation in fat (p=.03) and total energy (p=.02) in those samples collected before contraceptive therapy. When the researchers adjusted the data for stage of lactation and nursing interval from all 6 groups, the contraceptives had no significant effect on total protein, lipids, lactose, and energy.
Subject(s)
Contraceptive Agents, Female/pharmacology , Estrogens/pharmacology , Milk, Human/drug effects , Progesterone/pharmacology , Adult , Energy Metabolism/drug effects , Female , Humans , Intrauterine Devices , Lactation , Lactose/analysis , Lipids/analysis , Milk Proteins/analysis , Milk Proteins/drug effects , Milk, Human/chemistry , Time FactorsABSTRACT
Although information about the pregnancy outcome of alcoholic mothers is relatively abundant, no information is available about the effects of ethanol consumption on the infant's postnatal growth. This investigation aims to describe the physical growth of 32 infants born to mothers accustomed to drinking pulque, a mild alcoholic beverage, on a daily basis during pregnancy and lactation and to quantitate the ethanol disposed through the milk, as well as to identify cases of newborns with fetal alcohol syndrome. No full-blown cases of the syndrome were found: birth weight was similar to their non-drinking counterpart, but the relative risk of newborns to drinking mothers to have a low birth weight was 3.39. Ethanol found in milk accounted for 40 mg/day available to the infant. The postnatal growth of infants of ethanol drinkers was similar to that of controls. Further studies on their mental development are required in order to understand the extent of the effects of such a habit.
PIP: The physical growth of 32 infants born to mothers accustomed to drinking pulque, a mild alcoholic beverage, on a daily basis during pregnancy and lactation was studied. 110 clinically healthy mothers aged 15-44 years with parity from 2 to 4 were recruited during the last trimester of gestation from among the pregnant women of San Mateo Capulhuac, a village of 4000 inhabitants, where the prevalence of natural lactation is 95% up to 6 months postpartum. All were exclusively breast feeding their infants. The final sample included 94 nonsmoking mothers; of these, 32 drank 1-2 liters of pulque per day during pregnancy. A group of 62 nondrinking mothers of similar age, parity, and height for age ratio served as controls. 6 mothers received, .12-.31 gm/kg Blood and milk samples were taken at intervals up to 189 minutes after pulque had been consumed. Weight for age, weight for height, and height for age were calculated based on reference data published by the US National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). The group of pulque-drinking mothers had an average age of 29.0 + 5.9 years, height of 151.0 + 5.0 cm while nondrinking mothers were 25.5 + 6.0 years and 149.0 + 5.2 cm, respectively. The estimated ethanol ingestion per day varied from 3.3 to 58 gm/day. No full-blown cases of the fetal alcohol syndrome were found: birth weight was similar to their nondrinking counterparts but the relative risk of newborns to drinking mothers to have a low birth weight was 3.39. Ethanol found in milk accounted for 40 mg/day available to the infant. Compared with the NCHS reference both groups had significantly lower mean length and weight from 3 months of age (p .001). This was reflected by a low percentage of infants with adequate weight and length/age ratios (47 and 58%, respectively). More than 90% ad an adequate weight/length ratio.
Subject(s)
Alcoholism/complications , Ethanol/adverse effects , Growth/drug effects , Lactation , Pregnancy Complications , Adult , Embryonic and Fetal Development , Ethanol/pharmacokinetics , Ethanol/pharmacology , Female , Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders , Humans , Indians, North American , Infant , Infant, Newborn , Male , Mexico , Milk, Human/metabolism , PregnancyABSTRACT
PIP: The author observed and interviewed 30 women in August 1985, each of whom had at least 1 child under 3 years old, to analyze infant feeding behavior in the rural Andean community of Nunoa, Peru. Infants were generally first nursed within 48 hours of birth, subject to co-sleeping and probably night-nursing far longer than day nursing, and fed exclusively via bottle or nursing on only very rare occasions. Weaning periods were extended and consisted of continually modified feeding routines. Significant differences were observed between the feeding habits of poor and relatively less-poor mothers which may have impacted differently upon the health of offspring. The quality of infant foods and economic variation influenced breastfeeding duration and subsequent infant health and maternal fecundity. The author concludes that infant feeding routines can be neither characterized nor studied as a set of mutually exclusive hierarchical stages; significant variation exists within and between socioeconomic subsamples; both groups have parallel perceptions and attitudes regarding appropriate feeding practices; both groups perceive foods other than breast milk as complements to rather than substitutes for nursing during the 1st year of life; bottle use is neither uniformly harmful nor beneficial; the various aspects of infant feeding routines do not all necessarily respond in concert to changing socioeconomic conditions; models of infant feeding behavior must go beyond the simple mechanics of infant feeding; and great need exists for more comprehensive investigations.^ieng