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  • Title: The biggest contraceptive in the world.
    Author: Jones M.
    Journal: New Int; 1982 Apr; (110):20. PubMed ID: 12338584.
    Abstract:
    The indiscriminate promotion of infant formula in 3rd world countries frequently increases women's fertility as well as resulting in a direct risk to infants. The fertility effect of the decline of breastfeeding in the 3rd world over the last 30 years has only recently been examined. Preliminary study results show that it is not simply the presence or absence of breastfeeding which counts but the amount of suckling which takes place. Mothers who nurse often, on demand, return to fertility much later than those who do not feed at night, or who stick to regular, separate feeding intervals. The contraceptive effect of breastfeeding comes from the release of a hormone (prolactin) directly after stimulation of the nipples, which in 5-15 minutes increases almost 20 times its normal level in the bloodstream. Prolactin is short lived in the blood so that half of this quantity will have vanished 10-30 minutes after suckling stops; regular feeding is needed to keep the level sufficiently high to inhibit fertility. If a woman does ovulate, it may be what is termed and "inadequate ovulation" where the corpus luteum does not function normally and even if the egg is fertilized will not permit the pregnancy to continue. A study on this theme was conducted among the Kung people of northwestern Botswana where there was an unusually low natural fertility--about 4.7 live births/woman, well spaced out. The children were normally weaned at 3-years old, and daytime suckling followed an unusual pattern. It was very brief, a few seconds or minutes, and very frequent. Breastfeeding began to decline during the child's 2nd year and fertility shortly returned. The World Fertility Survey concludes that "on average, breastfeeding for 1 months adds 1 week to the birth interval." In countries like Colombia and Panama, which are heavily Westernized in the urban areas and where traditional cultures are largely eroded, aggressive Western provision and marketing of artificial contraceptives may just offset the aggressive Western marketing of breastmilk substitutes, as far as fertility is concerned. In other developing countries bottle feeding may have increased unwanted pregnancies.
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