Breastfeeding lowers diabetes risk

Middle-aged and older women who breastfeed their children have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those who bottle-feed their babies.

Past studies have linked breastfeeding with a lower risk of developing diabetes. To examine the effect of childbearing and breastfeeding on the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, researchers studied 52,731 Australian women, aged between 45 years and older. The women in the study were divided into 3 groups – women who had children and never breastfed; women who never had children previously; and women who had children and breastfed.

Of the 5,700 women who never had children earlier, 274 (5 percent) were diagnosed with diabetes. Diabetes was also reported by 5 percent of the 25,000-plus women who had breastfed their children for more than three months. Meanwhile, of the 6,171 women who had children earlier but never breastfed, 591 (10 percent) reported a diagnosis of diabetes. Among the 15,400 women who'd breastfed each of their children for three months or less, just 6 percent said they had diabetes.

It was found that the risk of developing diabetes were similar for women with children and those who had remained childless. But among women with children, each year of breastfeeding was associated with a 14 percent lower diabetes risk. Also, women who had children and had never breastfed were 50 percent more likely to have type 2 diabetes. In contrast, the risk was not higher among women who had breastfed each of their children for at least three months. The findings did not alter even when the factors such as age, weight, family history of diabetes, reported exercise habits, education and income levels were taken into account.

The findings show that though having children increases the chances of developing type 2 diabetes, breastfeeding can reduce this risk to the same level as that of women who have never had children.