Babies with mothers who had maternal gestational diabetes are more likely to experience health benefits from breast milk compared to formula milk, a new study has shown.
A University of Oklahoma research team led by David Fields has identified a positive effect of breast milk on the children of mothers with gestational diabetes.
- Postpartum screening low among women affected by gestational diabetes or hypertension
- Common blood glucose test fails to detect nearly three quarters of gestational diabetes cases
“Gestational diabetes is a big deal. It’s bad for the mother because, while it goes away after giving birth, it usually portends that later in life, the mother will get type 2 diabetes,” said David Fields.
According to the results, babies tended to be longer and growing faster if their mother had been diagnosed with maternal gestational diabetes.
In addition, these babies had a lower fat percentage in one month to three months compared to the babies whose mothers did not have maternal gestational diabetes, the study has reported.
David Fields said: “They weren’t putting on fat as much, which is totally opposite of what we would think. We thought that these babies would be gaining more fat, but they’re not.
“We didn’t know much beyond macronutrients, simply how much fat and how much protein is in the milk.”
- ADHD triggered by a Western diet during pregnancy
- Metabolic syndrome associated with lack of sleep during pregnancy
He concluded: “Our ultimate take-home message is milk is medicine. Milk is the interface between the baby and the mother.
“What a mother eats and how they live, either good or bad, is being signalled and transferred to the infant.”
Read the study here.
