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PMID: 16025218 Published · ppublish English Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Review

Calcium and bone metabolism during pregnancy and lactation.

Journal of mammary gland biology and neoplasia ·Vol. 10 ·No. 2 ·2005-04-00 ·Pages 105-18

Kovacs CS

Abstract

Pregnancy and lactation both place significant demands on the mother to provide sufficient calcium (among other minerals and nutrients) to the fetus and neonate. Despite facing similar demands for calcium during pregnancy and lactation, the maternal adaptations differ significantly between these two reproductive periods. Women lose 300 to 400 mg of calcium daily through breast milk, and this calcium demand is met by a 5-10% loss of skeletal mineral content during 6 months of exclusive lactation. Most importantly, the lost mineral is fully restored within a few months of weaning, such that women who have breastfed do not have a long-term deficit in skeletal mineral content. This article will review our present understanding of the adaptations in mineral metabolism that occur during pregnancy and lactation, and will focus on recent evidence that the breast itself plays a central role in regulating the adaptations during lactation.

MeSH Terms
Bone and Bones/metabolism Calcium/metabolism Female Humans Lactation Osteoporosis/etiology Pregnancy/metabolism
Chemicals
Calcium
Authors & Affiliations
1 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Kovacs Christopher S
Faculty of Medicine - Endocrinology, Health Sciences Centre, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Canada. ckovacs@mun.ca
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Article Info
Journal
Journal of mammary gland biology and neoplasia
Abbr.
J Mammary Gland Biol Neoplasia
ISSN
1083-3021
DOI
10.1007/s10911-005-5394-0
Email
ckovacs@mun.ca
Published
2005-04-00
Pages
105-18
Language
English
Region
United States
NLM ID
9601804
Subset
IM
External Links
PubMed source DOI: 10.1007/s10911-005-5394-0 View journal details
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