The main author, the researcher David Fields, an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Oklahoma, recalls that at the age of 6 months, babies fed by artificial milk or preparation, born of medically obese mothers have about 5 % less fat than babies breastfed by their mothers. Initially, this discovery prompted the researcher and his team to better specify the links between maternal gestational diabetes, breastfeeding and child health.
The growing impact of gestational diabetes is also a major problem, because if it disappears after childbirth, it generally suggests in the mother a subsequent diabetes and despite a natural adaptation and autocorrection mechanism, it also leaves its footprint on the early growth of babies.
The study is carried out with mother-child couples with gestational diabetes. The researchers studied the composition of breast milk from mothers with gestational diabetes and these analyzes revealed an unexpected situation:
- If 9 nutritional differences have been identified between breast milk from mothers with gestational diabetes and milk from non -affected mothers, 3 of these differences were significantly associated with the baby’s growth and body composition;
- These 3 characteristics seem to protect children from mothers with gestational diabetes;
- Babies of mothers with gestational diabetes have faster linear growth: they are larger and grow faster;
- However, their percentage of fat is also lower between 1 and 3 months;
- This paradox, the observation that these babies do not accumulate as much fat, confirms the existence
of a protective mechanism in breast milk, including when the mother has gestational diabetes.
Although there is still a lot to learn about the differences between natural milk and breast milk, as well as their effects on children, the study message is that milk is a medication.
“Milk is the interface between the baby and his mother”recall these researchers.
