title: Changes in body composition in lactating adolescent mothers.
abstract: We assessed changes in body composition in lactating adolescent mothers living under unfavorable socioeconomic and sanitary conditions. A total of 17 healthy primiparous adolescents under 17 years of age attending the Maternity Hospital of the city of La Plata, Argentina, were followed at 4 time points (15 days and 3, 6 and 12 months postpartum) to assess, a) dietary intake, b) practice of physical activity, c) nutritional condition (weight, height, body mass index [BMI] according to age, and body composition by the sum of skinfold measurements), d) characteristics of lactation, and e) growth parameters of the child. The mean age of adolescents was 15.06 +/- 0.66 years (mean menarchal age, 11.59 +/- 0.80 years). All adolescents breastfed up to 12 months postpartum, and maternal milk covered above 80% the baby intake (mean 7.06 +/- 2.54 breast feeds/day). While the daily intake of nutrients by adolescent mothers was constant up to 6 months postpartum, there was a modest decrease in that of proteins, carbohydrates and lipids 15 days and 12 months postpartum. The decrease in energetic intake during the same period was significant (p < 0.05). The practice of physical activity was classified as moderate during the follow-up period. Whereas mean basal percent of fat body mass (FBM) was 29.85 +/- 2.87, and decreased significantly at 6 (27.2% +/- 3.9%; p = 0.02) and 12 (26.1% +/- 3.9%; p = 0.002) months postpartum, changes in lean body mass (LBM) were not significant. In conclusion, lactating adolescents maintained LBM, whereas weight, FBM and BMI decreased markedly from 3 months postpartum.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Desarrollo e Investigaciones Pediátricas (Hospital de Niños "Sor María Ludovica", Commission of Scientific Research of the Province of Buenos Aires), La Plata, Argentina.
authors.forename: Horacio F
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: González
authors.forename: Agustina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Malpeli
authors.forename: José L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Mansur
authors.forename: Soledad
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: De Santiago
authors.forename: Graciela S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Etchegoyen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001118:Argentina; D001823:Body Composition / Q000502:physiology*; D002149:Energy Intake / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007774:Lactation / Q000502:physiology*; D009752:Nutritional Status; D049590:Postpartum Period / Q000502:physiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013997:Time Factors