Breastfeeding duration, intensity, and its association with postnatal diabetes among women with prior gestational diabetes mellitus: a scoping review

Infants who are breastfed enjoy numerous health advantages. Nevertheless, its benefits for women with a history of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) are frequently disregarded. There are currently few guidelines for GDM to advocate breastfeeding because there is scant scientific data that does so. This review aims to explore breastfeeding duration and intensity among women with prior GDM over the past decade, explicitly observing its association with postnatal glycaemic control and diabetes incidence. A systematic search on lactation and GDM studies published in the Cochrane Library, Medline, Science Direct, and Scopus databases between 2010 and 2021 was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). We included English publications relevant to GDM and breastfeeding and the incidence of postnatal diabetes. Nine articles were included in the final data set. Women with GDM seemed to have a shorter breastfeeding duration but had a higher breastfeeding rate during the early postnatal period. Breastfeeding duration and intensity among women with prior GDM did have a protective effect against the risk of getting postnatal diabetes. The association is more pronounced with higher breastfeeding intensity and longer breastfeeding duration. These findings would assist the healthcare team in developing suitable breastfeeding interventions for optimal prevention among women with prior GDM to reduce the risk of postnatal diabetes.