Regional Body Composition Changes during Lactation in Indian Women from the Low-Income Group and Their Relationship to the Growth of Their Infants

Abstract

Background: Increased energy requirement during lactation may lead to maternal tissue depletion in women from poor subsistence communities.Objectives: To examine the regional body composition changes in undernourished lactating women and to assess the relationship of maternal body composition changes with weight gain of the infants.Subjects and Methods: Body composition was assessed using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry in 35 lactating women at 4 time points: within 1 month after delivery (baseline) and at 6, 12, and 18 months postpartum.Results: The mean age, height, and body mass index of the women were 23.5 years, 150.7 cm, and 20.0 kg/m2, respectively. There were no significant differences in body weight or whole-body lean as well as fat mass at 4 time points, but the percentage fat decreased significantly during lactation. There was selective mobilization of fat mass from the leg region, whereas the appendicular skeletal mass (ASM) increased significantly. When the growth of the infants in the first 6 months (proxy for the lactation performance) was assessed in relation to the maternal body composition changes during that period, it was observed that the change in fat mass had a negative relationship to the weight gain of the infant. Change in the ASM during this period, however, had a significant positive relationship with the weight gain of the infants.Conclusion: There were important differences in the lactation-related changes in the regional body composition parameters of these undernourished women. Regional body composition changes may be related to the weight gain of the breast-fed infants.