title: [Length of lactational amenorrhea in an urban population of Temuco, Chile].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Studies done in Santiago, Chile show that menses return before the sixth month of puerperium in 50% of lactating women, even in those that continue with exclusive breast feeding.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To study the length of lactational amenorrhea in a group of women living in Southern Chile.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred fourteen women giving exclusive breast feeding, were followed from the third postpartum month, to determine the length of lactational amenorrhea. Its relationship with general characteristics of the mothers and children and breast feeding pattern was also studied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty six women (58%) recovered their menses before the 6th postpartum month and their length of lactational amenorrhea was 101 +/- 5 days. In the rest of the sample, the length was 277 +/- 10 days. No differences in characteristics of the mothers and children or breast feeding pattern, were observed between these two groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A short lactational amenorrhea is common in the Chilean population. Clinical characteristics or pattern of breast feeding do not explain the length of LA in this population.
authors.affiliation: Universidad de la Frontera, Facultad de Medicina, Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Servicio de Salud de la Araucanía.
authors.forename: Patricio
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Valdés
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sierralta
authors.forename: Ximena
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ossa
authors.forename: Angélica
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Barría
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000568:Amenorrhea / Q000208:ethnology / Q000209:etiology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001942:Breast Feeding; D002677:Chile / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007774:Lactation / Q000502:physiology*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D049590:Postpartum Period / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors; D014505:Urban Population