Breastfeeding outcomes for women with insulin dependent diabetes

The incidence of breastfeeding among women with insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) has received little attention. During a 17-month period, 19 pregnant women with IDDM attending the prenatal clinic of the Royal Women's Hospital (Brisbane) were recruited into a prospective study to compare their breastfeeding outcomes with a control group of 18 women who were not diabetic (non-IDDM). The incidence of breastfeeding was monitored. At discharge, 63 percent of IDDM and 78 percent of non-IDDM mothers were breastfeeding. At eight weeks, the proportion of each were nearly identical (58 percent and 56 percent respectively), and at three months of age, 47 percent of IDDM mothers and 33 percent of non-IDDM women continued to breastfeed. We conclude that women with IDDM breastfeed at least as commonly and for as long as women without diabetes, despite the fact that infants of the IDDM women were artificially fed more often and began breastfeeding later than infants in the control group. In addition, the IDDM women were more likely to be delivered by Caesarean section (p < 0.0005), to be delivered earlier (p < 0.0002), and their babies more likely to be admitted to the special care nursery (p < 0.0005).