The effects of lactation on the mother

Undernourished mothers are likely to have limited fat reserves to draw on during lactation. In order to supply nutrition to her child the mother may therefore become more malnourished and suffer from bone resorption. Repeated or overlapping pregnancies with lactation are likely to compound the issue. Little research has been carried out into the health of mothers while breast feeding, or subsequently. There are theoretical reasons to think that the malnourished mother in the developing world may be particularly vulnerable, but no studies appear to have been undertaken. Investigations in the developed world have concentrated on cancers of the reproductive organs and shown consistent evidence in large case-control studies for a reduced risk of pre-menopausal breast cancer in mothers with a history of prolonged breast feeding. In contrast there have been a number of studies in the developed world concerned with emotional well-being with some indications that mothers who breast feed are more likely to be depressed and are less likely to be positive about their baby. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.