Analysis of Factors Involved in Lactational Amenorrhea

Breastfeeding provides a natural source of nutrients for the infant and determines a period of Lactational Amenorrhea (LA) as a normal postpartum physiological phenomenon. Universally, it is now recognized that breastfeeding suppresses ovarian cyclicity and provides LA condition accompanied by a period of postpartum infertility. The duration of the LA period varies among different women and populations [1-4]. Gynecological research has found that around 50% of the women are fully nursing and cycling before 6 months postpartum [5,6] meanwhile, among other populations, LA lasts up 4 years [2,3,7,8]. These differences are not fully explained due to they occur even among women who are fully nursing with similar frequencies of suction and infant growth rates.