DOC News February 1, 2006
Volume 3 Number 2 p. 12
© 2006 American Diabetes Association
Breastfeeding Reduces Mother's Diabetes Risk
Recently reported research indicates that, among its many other benefits,
breastfeeding reduces the mother's risk of type 2 diabetes later in life. The
longer the duration of breastfeeding, the lower the incidence of diabetes,
according to a study published in the November 23 issue of
JAMA.
A group of researchers from Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's
Hospital, both in Boston, studied 83,585 mothers in the Nurses' Health Study
(NHS) and 73,418 mothers in the Nurses' Health Study II (NHS II). An analysis
of those who had given birth within the previous 15 years revealed that each
year of breastfeeding reduced the mother's risk of diabetes by 15%, when body
mass index (BMI) and other factors were controlled.
"Lactation may reduce risk of type 2 diabetes in young and
middle-aged women by improving glucose homeostasis," researchers
conclude.
Stuebe AM, Rich-Edwards JW, Willett WC, et al.: Duration of
lactation and incidence of type 2 diabetes. JAMA 294: 2601–2610, 2005.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
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