Skip to main content
Log in

The efficiency of intestinal calcium absorption is increased in late pregnancy but not in established lactation

  • Rapid Communications
  • Published:
Calcified Tissue International Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

The fractional absorption of calcium (FA-Ca) was measured using a dual non-radioactive Ca isotope technique in 26 control women, 49 women in the last triimester (36 weeks) of pregnancy and 31 of these women in established (20 weeks) lactation. The ratio of the two non-radioactive Ca isotopes was measured, by high precision thermal ionisation mass spectrometry, in urine 12–24 hours after administration and was used to calculate Fa-Ca. This is the first study to clearly show that FA-Ca is significantly elevated in late pregnancy but not in established lactation, when compared with control women.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

References

  1. Garel J-M (1987) Hormonal control of calcium metabolism during the reproductive cycle. Physiol Rev 67:1–66.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Greer FR, Tsang RC, Searcy JE, Levin RS, Steichen JJ (1982) Mineral homeostasis during lactation- relationship to serum 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, parathyroid hormone, and calcitonin. Am J Clin Nutr 38:431–437

    Google Scholar 

  3. Price RI, Kent GN, Rosman KJ, Gutteridge DH, Reeve J, Allen JR, Stuckey BGA, Smith M, Guelfi G, Hickling CJ, Blakeman SL Kinetics of intestinal calcium absorption in humans measured using stable isotopes and high precision thermal ionisation mass spectrometry. Biomed Environ Mass Spec (In press).

  4. DeGrazia JA, Ivanovich P, Fellows H, Rich C (1965) A double isotope method for measurement of intestinal absorption of calcium in man. J Lab Clin Med 66:822–829.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Heaney RP, Skillman TG (1971) Calcium metabolism in normal human pregnancy. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 33:661–670.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Tellez M, Reeve J, Royston JP, Veall N, Wootton R (1980) The reproductibility of double-isotope deconvolution measurements of intestinal calcium absorption. Clin Sci 59:169–172.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Heaney RP, Recker RR, Stegman MR, Moy AJ (1989) Calcium absorption in women: relationships to calcium intake, estrogen status, and age. J Bone Min Res 4:469–475

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Haddad J (1987) Traffic, binding and cellular access of vitamin D sterols. In: Peck WA (ed) Bone and Mineral Research/5. Elsevier, Amsterdam, p 283–308.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Kent N, Price R, Wilson S, Rosman K, Gutteridge D, Smith M, Allen J, Hickling C, Retallack R, StJohn A (1989) Increased efficiency of intestinal absorption of calcium in human pregnancy but not in lactation: absence of a correlation with serum 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D bioavailablity. Proc Endoc Soc Aust 32:98.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Roth P, Werner E (1985) Interrelations of radiocalcium absorption tests and their clinical relevance. Mineral Electrolyte Metab 11:351–357.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Gutteridge DH, Kent GN, Price RI, Bhagat CI, Barnes MP, Allen JR, Worth GK, Retallack RW, Devlin RD, Smith M (1988) Trabecular bone loss in peak human lactation with recovery after weaning. In: Dequeker J, Geusens P, Wahner HW (eds) Bone mineral measurements by photon absorptiometry: methodological problems. Leuven University Press, Leuven, p 370–375.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Kent GN, Price RI, Gutteridge DH, Smith M, Allen Jr, Bhagat CI, Barnes MP, Hickling CJ, Retallack RW, Wilson SG, Davies C, StJohn A (1990) Human lactation: forearm trabecular bone loss, increased bone turnover, renal conservation of calcium and inorganic phosphate, with recovery of bone mass following weaning. J Bone Min Res 5:361–369.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Hayslip CC, Klein TA, Wray HL, Duncan WE (1989) The effects of lactation on bone mineral content in healthy postpartum women. Obstet Gynecol 73:588–592.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kent, G.N., Price, R.I., Gutteridge, D.H. et al. The efficiency of intestinal calcium absorption is increased in late pregnancy but not in established lactation. Calcif Tissue Int 48, 293–295 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02556384

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02556384

Key words

Navigation