INFORMATION FOR WOMEN WHO HAVE OSTEOPOROSIS DURING PREGNANCY OR BREASTFEEDING

What is osteoporosis during pregnancy?

Osteoporosis is a condition in which the density of mineral content in bones is below normal. This means that the strength of bones is below normal, which puts you at elevated risk of fractures throughout the body, but especially high weight-bearing areas, such as the hip and spine. Osteoporosis typically is an issue for post-menopausal women, because the decrease in the amount of estrogen in your body enables bone-eating cells called osteoclasts to live longer, so bone mineral is destroyed at an accelerated rate. Although a phenomenon called pregnancy lactation osteoporosis (PLO) has been reported to occur during the third trimester and after delivery, only a very small number of cases have been documented, so the main concern about osteoporosis during pregnancy and lactation is the fact that this is a time when there is a particularly high demand for calcium from your body to support the baby’s developing skeletal system. Consequently, you have a substantial requirement for vitamin D and calcium.