Breastfeeding and insulin requirements in women with Type 1 diabetes mellitus in the first year postpartum.

Abstract

To explore whether breastfeeding affects postpartum insulin requirements, HbA1c levels, and pregnancy weight retention in women with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM). This prospective study included 66 women with T1DM. The women were divided into two groups based on whether they were breastfeeding (BF) at 6months postpartum (BFyes, n = 32) or not (BFno, n = 34). Mean daily insulin requirement (MDIR), HbA1c levels, and pregnancy weight retention at 5 time-points from discharge to 12months postpartum were compared. MDIR increased by 35% from 35.7IU at discharge to 48.1IU at 12months postpartum (p < 0.001). MDIR in BFyes and BFno were comparable, however in BFyes, MDIR were continuously lower compared to BFno. Postpartum HbA1c increased rapidly from 6.8% at 1month to 7.4% at 3months postpartum and settled at 7.5% at 12months postpartum. The increase in HbA1c during the first 3months postpartum was most pronounced in BFno (p < 0.001). Although neither were statistically significant, from 3months postpartum HbA1c levels were highest in the BFno and BFno had a higher pregnancy weight retention compared to BFyes (p = 0.31). In women with T1DM, breastfeeding did not significantly affect postpartum insulin requirements, HbA1c levels or pregnancy weight retention in the first year after delivery.