Breastfeeding lowers risk of type 2 diabetes for mother’s with gestational diabetes!

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The Surgeon General’s goal for breastfeeding by year 2020 is for 81.9 percent of women to breastfeed their infants following hospital discharge, 60.6 percent of women continue breastfeeding at 6 months of age and 34.1 percent breast feed their infants at 12 months of age. (1)

U.S. Surgeon General desires for 81.9 percent of women to breastfeed their babies following hospital discharge by 2020!

Breastfeeding is not only great for mother/infant bonding but breast-fed babies are more resistant to disease and infection early in life.  They are also less likely to contract disease later in life. (2)

A new study reports that breastfeeding is not only healthier for baby but also for mother.  Women who have gestational diabetes who consistently breastfeed from the time of giving birth are half as likely to develop type 2 diabetes in the two years following delivery. (3)

New study shows that women with gestational diabetes who consistently breastfeed follow birth are half as likely to develop type 2 diabetes two years following birth!

Gestational diabetes is diagnosed in 5 percent to 9 percent of all pregnancies in the U.S.  Women with gestational diabetes are up to seven times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes following pregnancy. (3)

In a study done cry Kaiser Permanente Division of Research, they found that breastfeeding may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes following birth by half.  The study did stress the level and duration of breastfeeding as significant to the studies findings. (3)

In this study, women who exclusively or mostly breastfed for at least two months after giving birth, and those who continued to breastfeed for several months, were able to cut their risk for type 2 diabetes by half.  For the study, in person exams which included oral glucose tolerance tests were conducted at the six to nine week mark following delivery.  The same tests were performed again at one year and two years post delivery. (3)

Women with gestational diabetes who exclusively feed their child formula are twice as likely to develop type 2 diabetes!

The study found that mothers who exclusively fed their babies formula were more than twice as likely to develop type 2 diabetes.  The studies authors hope that these findings should encourage women to breastfeed, knowing the positive health benefits for both mother and child. (3)

Sources included:

(1) http://www.breastfeedingbasics.org/cgi-bin/deliver.cgi/content/Introduction/sta_us.html

(2) http://www.nrdc.org/breastmilk/benefits.asp

(3)http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/11/151123201930.htm

Lynn Griffith
Lynn is a licensed therapist who enjoys cooking, creativity and enjoys helping other's learn how to care for their minds and bodies through healthy eating.  Lynn has wrote for The Raw Food World News and is currently in the process of building her own website focused on managing mental health through nutrition and wellness.