Breastfeeding Intensity Linked to Better Early Postpartum Lipid Profile After Gestational Diabetes: JAMA

Japan: Researchers have found in a new study that among women with a history of gestational diabetes, higher breastfeeding intensity (HIB) was associated with a more favorable lipid profile in the early postpartum period, even after adjusting for insulin sensitivity. The findings suggest that greater breastfeeding intensity may contribute to improved early postpartum cardiometabolic health in women who previously experienced gestational diabetes.The study, published in JAMA Network Open, was conducted by Harumi Kanzawa, Department of Health Sciences, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University School of Medicine, Nagasaki, Japan, and colleagues. Women who develop gestational diabetes are at increased risk of future cardiometabolic disorders, while abnormalities in lipid metabolism can emerge soon after delivery. Identifying potentially modifiable factors that could support metabolic health during this period is, therefore, clinically important.