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Effect of breast milk of diabetic mothers on bodyweight of the offspring in the first year of life

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 58, pages 1429–1431 (2004)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective: There is increasing evidence that in healthy populations, breast-fed infants are leaner than formula-fed infants. It is of interest to know the effects of breast-feeding on infant weight in case of maternal diabetes, given the high incidence of fetal macrosomia and risk of childhood obesity in this population.

Design and Subjects: As part of a nation-wide study in the Netherlands on diabetes and pregnancy, 229 women with Type 1 diabetes were sent a questionnaire on weight and height of their infant, the type of nutrition given during the first 6 weeks of life, the duration of lactation and intercurrent diseases during the first year of life.

Results and conclusion: Our data show no significant difference between breast-,formula-, and mixed-fed infants in weight and body mass index (BMI) at 1 y of age, which is not in accordance with the findings in nondiabetic populations.

Sponsorship: Novo Nordisk Farma BV, Alphen aan de Rijn, the Netherlands and the Cornelis Visser Foundation.

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge the women who participated in the study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Perinatology and Gynaecology, University Medical Centre Utrecht, The Netherlands

    A Kerssen, I M Evers & G H A Visser

  2. Department of Internal Medicine, University Medical Centre Utrecht, The Netherlands

    H W de Valk

Authors
  1. A Kerssen
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  2. I M Evers
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  3. H W de Valk
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  4. G H A Visser
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Contributions

Guarantor: A Kerssen.

Contributors: AK collected and analysed data and wrote the manuscript. IE designed and co-ordinated the nationwide study and commented on the paper. HV and GV contributed to study design, analysis and writing of the paper.

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Correspondence to A Kerssen.

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Kerssen, A., Evers, I., de Valk, H. et al. Effect of breast milk of diabetic mothers on bodyweight of the offspring in the first year of life. Eur J Clin Nutr 58, 1429–1431 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601977

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601977

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