Breastfeeding may help prevent type 2 diabetes after gestational diabetes

NIH | MARCH 15, 2016

About 5-9% of pregnant women nationwide develop high blood sugar levels even though they didn’t have diabetes before pregnancy. This condition, called gestational diabetes, drastically raises a woman’s risk for type 2 diabetes later in life.

Breastfeeding help women who’ve had gestational diabetes prevent or delay type 2 diabetes. Image credit: NiDerLander/iStock/Thinkstock

Research has found that breastfeeding increases insulin sensitivity and improves glucose metabolism in the mother. However, studies have been inconclusive as to whether breastfeeding lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes, particularly among women with a history of gestational diabetes.

The team enrolled more than 1,000 ethnically diverse women (75% minority) who were diagnosed with gestational diabetes.

After accounting for differences in age, pre-pregnancy body size, and other risk factors, the researchers estimated that women who exclusively breastfed or mostly breastfed were about half as likely to develop type 2 diabetes as those who didn’t breastfeed.

How long women breastfed also affected their chance of developing type 2 diabetes. Breastfeeding for longer than 2 months lowered the risk of type 2 diabetes by almost one half. Breastfeeding beyond 5 months lowered the risk by more than one half. Notably, differences in weight loss, which affects type 2 diabetes risk, didn’t account for these risk differences.

Both the level and duration of breastfeeding may offer unique benefits to women during the post-delivery period for protection against development of type 2 diabetes after gestational diabetes.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

Immune system can slow degenerative eye disease

A new study shows that the complement system, part of the innate immune system, plays a protective role to slow retinal degeneration in a mouse model of retinitis pigmentosa, an inherited eye disease.

Brain cholesterol associated with increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease

Researchers have shown how cholesterol – a molecule normally linked with cardiovascular diseases – may also play an important role in the onset and progression of Alzheimer’s disease.

Skin microbes fairly stable over time

Researchers found that a healthy person’s skin microbes change remarkably little over time. The stability, however, varies across body sites.

Study of multiethnic genomes identifies 27 genetic variants associated with disease

Researchers identified 27 new genomic variants associated with conditions such as blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, cigarette use and chronic kidney disease in diverse populations.

No benefit to shortening ear infection treatment

Researchers found that shortening the length of antibiotic treatment for young children diagnosed with ear infections didn’t reduce antibiotic resistance or adverse effects.

Micronutrients can counter lead effects in blood pressure

Manganese and selenium as micronutrients can counter the hypertensive effect of lead in blood, say the results of a new study conducted in Bangladesh.