Obstetrics & Gynecology · Endocrinology · 2 h ago
Maternal BMI, Not Type 2 Diabetes, Linked to Lower Breastfeeding Rates
In a prospective controlled study of 86 women, breastfeeding at four months postpartum was less common among women with type 2 diabetes and BMI-matched controls than among normoglycaemic women with normal BMI. Rates were similar between the diabetes and BMI-matched groups, suggesting maternal BMI may help explain the difference.
- Four-month breastfeeding rates were similar in diabetes and BMI-matched groups.
- Any breastfeeding was reported by 55% with diabetes versus 82% with normal BMI.
- The small observational study cannot establish causation.
Researchers prospectively compared breastfeeding at four months postpartum among women with pre-pregnancy type 2 diabetes and normoglycaemic controls. Each woman with diabetes was matched with one control by age, parity and BMI, and another control with normal BMI (18–25 kg/m²). The analysis included 29 women with type 2 diabetes, 29 BMI-matched controls and 28 normal-BMI controls. Participants had intended to breastfeed; data came from antenatal surveys, medical records and a postpartum telephone survey.
Full breastfeeding rates were 24% in the diabetes group, 38% in BMI-matched controls and 64% in normal-BMI controls. Any breastfeeding rates were 55%, 54% and 82%, respectively. Differences between the diabetes and BMI-matched groups were not statistically significant for full or any breastfeeding. Rates in the diabetes group were lower than in the normal-BMI group for both outcomes (p=0.002 and p=0.03, respectively).
The findings suggest that higher BMI, rather than type 2 diabetes itself, may be associated with lower breastfeeding rates at four months. They do not establish causation. The study was small, recruited fewer participants than initially planned, and included women who intended to breastfeed; results may not apply to all women with type 2 diabetes or to other settings.
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Diabetologia: A prospective controlled study assessing postpartum breastfeeding in women with type 2 diabetes: lower rates associated with elevated BMI rather than diabetes ↗This is an automated AI-condensed summary that has not yet been reviewed by an editor. Always consult the full item at the original source.