Preliminary StudyPostpartum body composition changes in lactating and non-lactating primiparas
Introduction
Postpartum body composition changes, especially weight loss, are of concern for most women. During pregnancy, mothers experience an increase in fat and lean tissues in addition to the products of conception.1 The average weight gain for a term pregnancy is 10–12.5 kg.2 Following delivery, many mothers express the desire to return to their prepregnancy weight.3 The effect of lactation on postpartum body composition changes has been inconclusive, with some reports indicating that lactation promoted weight loss while others did not observe any changes.3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 The purpose of this study is to evaluate the postpartum body composition changes in lactating versus non-lactating or formula-feeding primiparas during the first 12 wk.
Section snippets
Subjects
Twenty study subjects were recruited from the University of Utah Hospital maternity ward. Subjects’ eligibility included primiparous females, aged 17–35 y, who had delivered after term (38–40 wk) gestation. All infants were normal spontaneous vaginal deliveries. Mothers who had diabetes, renal, cardiac, or any other chronic disease were excluded. Postpartum maternal medications consisted of only vitamins and iron. This study was reviewed by our institutional review board, and informed consent
Subjects
Fourteen mothers decided to breast-feed, while six mothers decided to formula feed during this study. The lactating mothers were older than the mothers of the non-lactating group, 29 ± 3 versus 21 ± 4 y, P < 0.01. The non-lactating mothers had a lower prepregnant weight compared to the lactating mothers but weight gains during pregnancy were similar for both groups. However, the weights and heights of the mothers were similar at the start of the study (Table I).
Weight changes
The absolute and percent weight
Discussion
From this preliminary study, primiparous non-lactating mothers lost more weight postpartum than lactating primiparous mothers. This weight loss consisted of mainly lean body mass as compared to fat mass. In our study, the lactating mothers were older than the non-lactating mothers. Maternal age appears to be a factor in the decision to breast-feed, with older mothers deciding to breast-feed more than younger mothers.16 However, maternal age has not been associated with postpartum weight loss.17
Summary
During the first 12 wk postpartum, non-lactating primiparous mothers who were younger and weighed less pre-pregnancy lost body weight and had a reduction in their waist, hips, and midthighs compared to lactating primiparous mothers. These findings may have been due to the lower total daily caloric intake in the non-lactating group.
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