Women with gestational diabetes mellitus are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in the postpartum period. However, breastfeeding is known to reduce the risk of T2DM. In a new study in 304 women who had gestational diabetes mellitus, women who tested negative for islet autoantibodies and continued breastfeeding for >3 months had lower T2DM risk than those who did not breastfeed or who breastfed for ≤3 months. Additionally, women who breastfed had a median time to T2DM diagnosis of 12.3 years versus 2.3 years in those who did not breastfeed.
ORIGINAL RESEARCH PAPER
Ziegler, A.-G. et al. Long-term protective effect of lactation on the development of type 2 diabetes in women with recent gestational diabetes mellitus. Diabetes doi:10.2337/db12-0393
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Sustained breastfeeding reduces risk of T2DM. Nat Rev Endocrinol 9, 4 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrendo.2012.215
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrendo.2012.215