Takaisin Tulosta

Lactational amenorrhea for family planning

Evidence summaries
Heidi Alenius
Last reviewed as up-to-date 5.2.2024Latest change 15.3.2016

Level of evidence: C

Lactational amenorrhoea method may be effective when used correctly the first 6 month postpartum.

A Cochrane review (abstract «Lactational amenorrhoea method for family planning»1, review «Lactational amenorrhoea method for family planning»1) included 9 intervention groups and 2 control groups in observational studies. Lactational amenorrhea method (LAM) is defined as a method during the first 6 months postpartum in amenorrheic women who are fully or nearly fully breastfeeding. For the outcome two controlled studies of LAM users reported life table pregnancy rates at 6 months of 0.45 and 2.45 percent, one controlled study reported 5% pregnancies in the absence of life table rates per month, and 8 uncontrolled studies of LAM users reported 0–7.5 percent. Life table pregnancy rates of women fully breastfeeding and amenorrheic but not using any contraceptive method were 0.88 in one study and 0.9–1.2 percent (95% CI 0. 0–2.4 ) in a second study, depending on the definition of menstruation used. The life table menstruation rate at 6 months in all studies varied between 11.1–39.4 percent.

References

  1. Van der Wijden C, Manion C. Lactational amenorrhoea method for family planning. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2015;(10):CD001329. «PMID: 26457821»PubMed