Lactational Amenorrhoea and Modern Contraceptives Use among Nursing Women in Egypt 2003

To evaluate the potential for Lactational Amenorrhoea Method (LAM) and passive LAM among women with children below 6 months in the 2003 Egypt Demographic Health Survey (2003 EDHS), to assess the determinants of amenorrhea, and to examine the association of exclusive breastfeeding and amenorrhea with using modern contraceptive methods among nursing mothers of children below 2 years, adjusting for other associated variables.

Data from the 2003 EDHS was downloaded from the DHS website. A sub-sample of women fulfilling all the four criteria were selected: 1) women with last birth of children less than 2 years; 2) currently married; 3) not being sterilized; and 4) currently breast feeding their children. Accordingly, 1934 women entered into the statistical analysis, of them 629 had children below 6 months.

Nearly 24% of nursing mothers with children below 6 months met LAM criteria, of them passive LAM users constituted 79.1%. For women with children below 24 months, determinants of amenorrhea were exclusive breast feeding, unemployment, number of living children, husband education, number of feeding at night, and having a male sex child. Higher education, urban residence, positive attitude towards contraception increased the likelihood of modern contraceptives use, whereas amenorrhea, exclusive breast feeding, and having a wanted child decreased its likelihood in multivariate analysis.

Exclusive breast feeding was associated with amenorrhea and modern contraceptive methods use in a direct and inverse fashion respectively. LAM is a commonly used method but it is liable to discontinuation or violation of its criteria. Hence, it is recommended to educate both the health care providers and users about it.