Effect of breast milk of diabetic mothers on bodyweight of the offspring in the first year of life

Objective: There is increasing evidence that in healthy populations, breast-fed infants are leaner than formula-fed infants. It is of interest to know the effects of breast-feeding on infant weight in case of maternal diabetes, given the high incidence of fetal macrosomia and risk of childhood obesity in this population. Design and Subjects: As part of a nation-wide study in the Netherlands on diabetes and pregnancy, 229 women with Type 1 diabetes were sent a questionnaire on weight and height of their infant, the type of nutrition given during the first 6 weeks of life, the duration of lactation and intercurrent diseases during the first year of life. Results and conclusion: Our data show no significant difference between breast-, formula-, and mixed-fed infants in weight and body mass index (BMI) at 1 y of age, which is not in accordance with the findings in nondiabetic populations. Sponsorship: Novo Nordisk Farma BV, Alphen aan de Rijn, the Netherlands and the Cornelis Visser Foundation.