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Severe hypercalcemia in a lactating woman in association with moderate calcium carbonate supplementation: a case
Robert H Caplan1, Christine D Miller, Paul D Silva
1Section of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center, La Crosse, Wisconsin, USA. rhcaplan@gundluth.org
Background:
Lactation results in dramatic bone resorption and decreased urinary calcium excretion due to rapidly falling estrogen levels and probably increased levels of parathyroid hormone-related protein.
Case:
A healthy, 36-year-old woman developed severe hypercalcemia several days after beginning breast-feeding her second child. During and after this pregnancy, she supplemented a high calcium diet with moderate amounts of calcium carbonate in an attempt to avoid an osteoporotic fracture that occurred while she was breast-feeding her first child.
Conclusion:
Because the metabolic changes that occur during lactation predispose a woman to hypercalcemia, the daily recommended daily allowances for calcium should not be exceeded during breast-feeding.
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