Breast feeding and diabetes

Abstract

The causative relationship between breast feeding and diabetes mellitus received the attention of researchers for many years. Some studies discussed the incidence of type 2 diabetes in lactating mothers. Other studies explored the effects of breast feeding on the incidence of diabetes in children and adolescents. The most significant study was reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association in November 2005. It was conducted on two large phases, both included tens of thousands of registered nurses in the United States. The first phase, the Nurses' Health Study (NHS), was initiated in 1976, and enrolled 121,700 women from 11 states. The second study, the Nurses' Health Study II (NHS II) began in 1989, and enrolled 116,671 women form 14 states. The final analysis of data was undertaken in 2003. Both studies compared women who never breastfed their babies, with women who breastfed for variable periods, extending during their like time, from 3-23 months.