Prolonged lactation contributes to depletion of maternal energy reserves in Filipino women.

This paper identifies determinants of women's postpartum weight and weight change in a large group of Filipino women followed for 24 mo. Longitudinal, multivariate models focused on the effects of lactation, while controlling for energy intake, energy expenditure, reproductive history and seasonality. Lactation was found to have a significant negative effect on weight of urban women. The negative effects of lactation increased with the intensity and duration of breast-feeding. Among rural women negative effects of lactation on weight were observed only after 10-14 mo. Models of net postpartum weight change (from 2 to 24 mo) among nonpregnant women confirmed an important role for lactation. The likelihood of weight loss was significantly increased by lactation of more than 12-mo duration, by greater maternal age and by low dietary energy intake. The effects of lactation on maternal energy reserves can be mitigated substantially be increasing maternal dietary energy intakes.