Effect of early postpartum use of the contraceptive implants, NORPLANT, on the serum levels of immunoglobulins of the mothers and their breastfed infants.

Ten breastfeeding women had the contraceptive implants NORPLANT inserted between days 30 and 39 postpartum. The immunoglobulins IgG, IgM and IgA were measured in the serum of the mothers and the infants before insertion and five months later. A control group of breastfeeding mothers who did not use any contraception or used local barrier methods were similarly studied. Although there were changes in the immunoglobulin levels with time in both mothers and infants, there were no group differences; this indicates that the use of NORPLANT does not influence these factors of humoral immunity.