Comparison Between Antenatal and Postnatal Colostrum From Women With and Without Type 1 Diabetes

TL;DR

The study compares the nutritional content of colostrum from pregnant and postpartum women with and without Type 1 diabetes to understand differences and implications for newborn feeding.

Contribution

The study is one of the few to analyze antenatal and postnatal colostrum macronutrients in women with Type 1 diabetes and compare them to commercial formula.

Findings

No significant differences in carbohydrates, kilocalories, or fat in colostrum between women with and without Type 1 diabetes.

Antenatal protein levels differed significantly at all tested timepoints.

Day 1 colostrum macronutrients differed from commercial milk formula and most other colostrum timepoints.

Abstract

Supplementary feeding, colostrum or, in some countries, commercial milk formula, is given to newborns of women with Type 1 diabetes to prevent neonatal hypoglycemia. Few studies have explored the content of colostrum from women with Type 1 diabetes.

This study aimed to investigate the macronutrients in colostrum collected during pregnancy and in the early postpartum period to compare colostrum contents in women with and without Type 1 diabetes.

In this cohort study, we collected colostrum among 20 women, 10 with and 10 without Type 1 diabetes, at 10 different time points in gestational weeks 36–40 and postpartum Days 1–5. We measured carbohydrates, protein, fat, and kilocalories in colostrum using a human milk analyzer; and we analyzed data using linear mixed models. In a follow-up analysis, we compared the content of colostrum from Day 1 with the nutritional values provided on the commercial milk formula, using a one-sample t test.

There were no mean differences in carbohydrates (6.6 g/100 ml; 95% CI [6.3, 6.9] vs. 6.7 g/100 ml; 95% CI [6.4, 7.0] p = 0.29); kilocalories (71.1 kcal/100 ml; 95% CI [62.9, 79.3] vs. 85.3 kcal/100 ml; 95% CI [77.2, 93.3] p = 0.21], and fat (2.7 g/100 ml; 95% CI [1.8, 3.6] vs. 2.3 g/100 ml; 95% CI [1.4, 3.2] p = 0.55) in colostrum when comparing women with and without Type 1 diabetes. However, antenatal protein differed at all timepoints tested (p = 0.01). Colostrum macronutrients on Day 1 differed from that of commercial milk formula and all other colostrum time points, except Gestational Week 38.

Our study provides insights into antenatal and postnatal colostrum macronutrients among women with and without Type 1 diabetes. Further studies are needed to understand the effects of supplementary feeding using antenatal or postnatal colostrum or commercial milk formula on neonatal hypoglycemia.

Figures