Metabolic effects of breastfeed in women with prior gestational diabetes mellitus: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Summary This study was undertaken to provide comprehensive analyses of current research developments in the field of breastfeed (BF) and metabolic‐related outcomes among women with prior gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Database PubMed, Embase, BIOSIS Previews, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library were searched through December 3, 2017. Odds ratio (OR) and weighted mean difference (WMD) with 95% confidence interval (CI) were pooled by random‐effects model using Stata version 12.0. Twenty‐three observational studies were included in quantitative synthesis. Reduced possibility of progression to type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM; OR = 0.79; 95% CI, 0.68‐0.92) and pre‐DM (OR = 0.66; 95% CI, 0.51‐0.86) were found among women with longer BF of any intensity after GDM pregnancy. The positive effect of longer BF on progression to T2DM gradually became prominent with the extension of follow‐up period. Compared with women with shorter BF, those with longer BF manifested more favourable metabolic parameters, including significant lower body mass index, fasting glucose, triglyceride, and higher insulin sensitivity index. The findings support that BF may play an important role in protection against the development of T2DM‐related outcomes in midlife of women with prior GDM. However, further studies are needed to reveal the etiological mechanism.