Studies of Nutrition in Pregnancy 4. Diet and Lactation

Summary: 1. A study of lactation and diet in a group of 174 primigravid and secundigravid women is presented. 2. The mean (geometric) length of lactaction was 4.8 weeks. Two weeks after delivery 70% of all subjects were breast feeding whilst at 6 weeks only 45% were breast feeding. 3. The length of lactation was greater in subjects with a higher antenatal dietary rating. 4. The length of lactation was greater in patients with better postnatal diets. 5. A diet of 70 g. protein/day, 800 mg. calcium/day and 2,500 calories/day seemed adequate for the maintenance of lactation. 6. The mean length of lactation in those subjects owning their own home was longer than that in those not owning their own home. 7. Parity was not related in this series to length of lactation. Subjects 19 years or younger were as successful in lactation as those 20 years and older. 8. The length of lactation of the mother did not seem to affect the weight of the infant at 6 and 12 months. 9. The mean maternal weight gain 12 months after delivery compared with pre‐conception weight was 0.45 kg. (1 lb.) and there was no relationship beween length of lactation and maternal weight gain at the end of 12 months.