Clinical and Histological Studies on Lactation in Iranian Women

Abstract

Among 100 nursing mothers chosen at random, the average age of weaning was 15 months. There is some relationsh ip between maternal age and parity. One quarter of thc patients started to menstruate during th e first 3 months of the postpartum per iod. and the number increased at a rate of 10 ';.;; every three months. Thus by the end of the first year more than half of the lactating mothers had menstrua ted, The incidence of postpa rtum amenorrhea was 37 ~j~. The duration or amenorrhea ranged between 6 months and 30 months. Pregnancy was the commonest cau se of weaning. Histologica l fi ndings show a " physiological endometritis" in the early post partum period and evidence of estcrogenic under stimulation in the proli fe rativc phase in ca ses of long lactation. No evidence of luteal phase defect in the secreta ry pattern was observed in nursing mothers.