Breast Feeding Lowers Risk of Diabetes for Mums

Tue, 31 Aug 2010
Mums who have breast fed their children for a minimum period of a month would seem less likely to develop type 2 diabetes in later life than those who have not nursed.

This is the finding of new research, the findings of which are published in the September issue of the American Journal of Medicine, confirming results of previous research which had established a link between nursing and a lower risk of developing diabetes .

The latest research results are amazing as they highlight that nursing for even a month can make that crucial difference, accoring to lead author Dr. Eleanor Bimla Schwarz of the University of Pittsburgh.

Should a mother decide to breast feed for longer than a month, that is fine. However, this study shows that the first month of breast feeding matters the most.

The study involved the monitoring of 2,200 plus women aged between 40 and 78. Out of these women, 56 per cent had breast fed at some point.

Researchers uncovered that women who had breast fed all of their children for a minimum period of a month developed diabetes at around the same rate as women who had never given birth.

However, mothers who had never breast-fed were nearly twice as likely to develop diabetes. That link was present after controlling for such factors as diabetes history, body mass index as well as level of fitness .

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