Effect of Lactation on Bone Mineral Density Later in Lifein Turkish Women

Aim: To investigate the probable effect of lactation on bone mineral density (BMD) later in life.Materials and Methods: Eighty-seven premenopausal and 18 postmenopausal Turkish women were classified into four groups according to age. Age, height, weight, menopausal status, age at menopause (in postmenopausal women), years since menopause (in postmenopausal woman), parity and total lactation period were recorded. Lumbar spine BMD (L2-L4) was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). Ineach group, correlations of lactation with BMD were investigated using Pearson correlation test, and multipleregression analyses were used to determine the factors associated with BMD.Results: No significant correlation was determined between total lactation period and BMD in any subgroup.This result did not change after adjusting for age, height, weight and parity.Conclusions: Total lactation period does not seem to be a determinant of BMD later in life in Turkish women.