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Date:         Mon, 14 Dec 1992 22:29:28 PST
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From:         Northcoast Environmental Center <nec@IGC.APC.ORG>
Subject:      IPS: Breast-feeding as contraceptive

/* Written 12:16 am  Dec  6, 1992 by newsdesk@igc.apc.org in igc:ips.englibrary
*/
/* ---------- "POPULATION: Breast-feeding as contr" ---------- */
Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Title: POPULATION: Breast-feeding as contraceptive -- good and bad news


new york, dec 4 (ips) -- performed correctly, breast-feeding can
provide 98 percent protection against pregnancy for at least six
months after a mother gives birth, according to the u.s.-based
research organisation, family health international (fhi).

but the recent report by fhi which says that new studies firmly
establish the ''natural'' contraceptive effect of breast-feeding,
also warns of evidence that ''breast-feeding may play a more
significant role'' in transmission of the human immunodeficiency
virus (hiv) than previously thought.

but the report in fhi's magazine 'network' says scientists and
policy-makers have not reached a consensus on how much breast-
feeding enhances the chances of transmission of the aids-causing
virus. neither have they agreed on the kind of infant feeding
health-care workers should recommend to mothers infected with the
virus or to those living in areas with high hiv prevalence rates.

the report does note, though, that experts tend to agree that
the ''greatest danger of transmission through breast milk occurs
with women who receive massive doses of infected blood during
delivery, and those who have advanced symptoms of hiv infection or
(the) acquired immune deficiency syndrome (aids).''

dr margaret oxtoby of the u.s. centers for disease control says
''it is harder to transmit the virus through breast milk than
through blood or delivery, but there is some risk of
transmission''.

in any event, according to the fhi, breast-feeding remains one
of the most important, economical and safe sources of nutrition
for infants while providing babies with anti-bodies against a host
of diseases.

further, substituting formula for breast milk can create health
hazards, most gravely, the risk of disease and death from the
dilution of formula with contaminated water, says the north
carolina-based fhi.

the use of breast-feeding as a family planning method -- known
medically as the ''lactational amenorrhea method'' (lam) -- was
formally adopted by family planning experts at a meeting in
bellagio, italy, in 1988.

in order for lam to work, the report notes that mothers need to
be ''fully or nearly fully'' breast-feeding, and that the method
is assured only until one of three things happens: the mother's
menstrual period resumes, she begins feeding her infant a
significant amount of food other than breast milk, or a period of
six months has passed since the birth of the child. (more/ips)

population: breast-feeding as contraceptive -- good and bad news(2-e)

population: breast-feeding (2)

breast-feeding suppresses fertility because nipple stimulation
affects a hormone that controls ovulation.

but scientists are split on how important are two criteria --
frequent breast-feeding and a delayed introduction of food
supplements -- for lam to work as an effective contraception
method.

dr roger short of australia's monash university says that a
1991 study among 142 breast-feeding women found that the
introduction of food supplements made little difference in
contraceptive effectiveness.

and kathy kennedy, co-author of the bellagio statement and fhi
researcher, says ''the original bellagio guideline that women must
be fully breast-feeding seems to be the least important feature of
the lam.''

dr ronald gray of the united states' prestigious johns hopkins
school of hygiene and public health, notes that after the first
six months following birth, lam ''requires an average of 15 or
more breast-feeds per day, with each suckling episode lasting an
average of 10 or more minutes, and with supplements limited to
less than 10 percent of the infants' feeds.''

few women, he adds, are able to maintain this demanding
schedule.

an fhi analysis of data from nine countries has found that 94
percent of women were found to be protected by amenorrhea alone
even one year after giving birth.

the report points out that while breast feeding is well known
for its nutritional benefits for the child, its promotion as a
contraceptive method ''is generally not a priority for medical
staffs in many hospitals.''

in addition, some experts think promoting lam as an alternative
to modern methods is ''not realistic'', and argue that ''breast-
feeding is best promoted for feeding babies, not preventing
them.'' (end/ips/jd/yjc/92)
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