The effect of lactation and other factors on post-partum changes in body-weight and triceps skinfold thickness
Dugdale, A.E.; Eaton-Evans, J.
British Journal of Nutrition 61(2): 149-153
1989
ISSN/ISBN: 0007-1145 PMID: 2706221 DOI: 10.1079/bjn19890105Document Number: 369212
Health providers interviewed 174 mothers from Brisbane and Ipswich in Southeast Queensland, Australia about the health, growth, and feeding of their infants 1-12 months old. In addition, they researched the health, body weight, and social conditions of the mothers. The mothers ages ranged from 17-39 years (mean, 27.1). The mean body mass index (BMI) varied from 17.3-41.3 (mean, 23.9). Overall the mothers lost weight from the 1st month (100%) until the 6th month (96%) at which time body weight basically stayed the same. On the other hand, triceps skinfold thickness peaked at about 5 months (113%) after which it declined consistently to 96%. Opposite of the findings of other studies, this study showed no major differences between women who breast fed their infants for different lengths of time. Breast feeding duration, mother's age when finished with formal education, and present age did not significantly affect changes of body weight or triceps skinfold thickness. Smoking did significantly affect body weight at 11 months postpartum, however (p.05). Nevertheless, the researchers believed that there probably is no biological significance to this 1 finding. Mothers with a high 1 month BMI were significantly more apt to lose less weight or gain weight at 6 months postpartum (p.05) than those with a low BMI. Overweight mothers who already had an ample layer of adipose tissue in the triceps had a tendency to increase its size over the postpartum period (p.05). Even though all mothers wanted to lose more weight than they actually did, some significant changes did occur between the desire to lose weight and the actual changes in body weight and triceps skinfold (p.01-.05). Those women who wanted to lose more weight did do so. These results suggest that the changes in weight and skinfold occurred independent of lactation.