Can an infant or toddler who nurses frequently continue to breastfeed when diagnosed with diabetes?
The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine recently published its protocol entitled ‘Breastfeeding an Infant or Young Child with Insulin-Dependent Diabetes’ in Breastfeeding Medicine Journal February 2017.
In the past, many families with a young diabetic child have found themselves at odds with the endocrinologist’s recommendation to wean, based on a belief that the frequency of nursing and volumes taken during breastfeeding are too difficult to control. However, we know that breastfeeding is important for the child’s health, particularly since diabetes is a risk factor for more severe infectious diseases. This protocol specifies recommendations on how to manage insulin and blood sugars in a child who is breastfeeding. The good news is that weaning is not major strategy.