Clinical Case: Pregnancy lactation osteoporosis

Pregnancy-lactation osteoporosis (PLO) is a rare condition with most cases appearing during the third trimester of pregnancy or early in the post-partum period, especially in primigravid women. Our knowledge concerning its pathogenesis is scarce although it seems that most women who experience fragility fractures during this period have a pre-existing bone disease which is further burdened by the mechanical and metabolic changes during pregnancy and lactation. Breastfeeding produces an obligatory loss of maternal skeletal mineral which contributes to the decline of bone density. Little is known whether pharmacological treatments exert a beneficial role upon the situation of PLO since there is lack of firm evidence and bone density seems to recumb spontaneously during weaning.