Revitalized LAM Approach: Increasing Quality Services for Facility and Community-Based Reproductive and Maternal-Newborn Health Programs

The Lactational Amenorrhea Method (LAM) is a reliable family planning method, with 98% protection against pregnancy in the first 6 months after childbirth, in several clinical trials. LAM can protect a woman from pregnancy as long as she meets the three following criteria: fully or nearly fully breastfeeding, postpartum amenorrhea and she is less than six months postpartum. LAM can benefit the mother and the child by providing protection from pregnancy in the first six months postpartum, and contributing to healthy timing and spacing of pregnancies (HTSP). Yet, LAM is an underutilized method, due to low levels of awareness, knowledge and training of health providers and availability of services. The LAM Working Group provides a forum for organizations and agencies interested in the revitalization of LAM to develop strategies and tools necessary for repositioning LAM in FP programs and integrating LAM into maternal-newborn- child health (MNCH) programs. In order to revitalize LAM and increase available quality LAM services in facility- and community-based programs worldwide, the LAM Working Group proposes a two-pronged approach: 1) reposition LAM as a gateway to other modern family planning methods; 2) integrate LAM into MNCH services and programs in addition to family planning programs. This paper will present the advances of the LAM Interagency Working Group including a bibliography of lay reference materials, the rationale and strategy for repositioning LAM and updated training curricula and provider/client tools. Future suggested research directions will be highlighted.