Weight and body fat changes in postpartum depot-medroxyprogesterone acetate users.

BACKGROUND

Although postpartum depot-medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) recipients often cite weight gain as the reason for discontinuing DMPA, little is known about body composition changes in postpartum DMPA recipients.

STUDY

DESIGN

Women who used DMPA during the postpartum year were measured on several anthropometric dimensions of body composition and compared with women who elected surgical sterilization with bilateral partial salpingectomy (BPS).

RESULTS

After 1 year, DMPA recipients did not differ from the BPS group in weight or percent body fat changes. Almost half the women using DMPA returned to pregravid weight; nearly half gained weight. Higher pre-pregnancy body mass index was associated with weight gain among DMPA recipients.

CONCLUSIONS

DMPA recipients who were overweight or obese before pregnancy may have greater risk for weight gain in the first year postpartum. However, when counseling women, the risk for DMPA-related weight gain should be balanced against the potential for increased weight from subsequent pregnancies.