EFFECTS OF LACTATION ON POSTPARTUM AMENORRHEA - REESTIMATION USING DATA FROM A LONGITUDINAL-STUDY IN GUATEMALA

In this paper we re-estimate the effects of breastfeeding patterns on the timing of resumption of menses after controlling for maternal nutr ition and maternal stressor variables. The analysis shows that simple hazard models, used on data from a longitudinal study in Guatemala, pr ovide estimates of effects on timing of resumption of menstruation tha t are (a) comparable to others discussed in the recent literature and (b) generally consistent with hypotheses relating patterns of lactatio n, maternal nutritional status, and maternal stressors to processes th at accelerate (decelerate) resumption of anovulatory cycles.