The Effect of Calcium Supplementation on Bone Density during Lactation and after Weaning

Lactating women may require additional dietary calcium to compensate for the calcium secreted in breast milk, and the current recommended dietary allowance of calcium is increased by 400 mg per day in these women. 1 This recommendation assumes that calcium balance can be achieved during lactation by increasing the intake of calcium. One approach to testing this assumption is to study the effects on bone of various intakes of calcium. Bone density decreases by 4 to 7 percent in the lumbar spine and hip among women who lactate for six months. 2 – 6 Although bone density increases after weaning, it is not . . .