DELAYED LACTOGENESIS IN WOMEN WITH INSULIN-DEPENDENT DIABETES-MELLITUS

Breast milk lactose, total nitrogen, conductivity, osmolality, and int ake by infants of 33 women with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (I DDM), 33 control women without diabetes, and 11 reference women were d etermined in a 3-mo study of lactation. Milk of women with IDDM had si gnificantly lower lactose and higher total nitrogen (2-3 d postpartum) , and their infants had significantly less milk intake (7-14 d postpar tum) than did control or reference women. Total nitrogen was negativel y correlated with milk lactose for women with IDDM at all times and fo r control women through day 14 postpartum. The data indicate delayed l actogenesis for women with IDDM, which was more likely to occur with p oor metabolic control. Differences in milk composition of women with I DDM do not preclude them from breast-feeding their infants.