Cow milk and insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus: is there a relationship?

Article Abstract:

The hypothesis that breastfeeding an infant protects it against the later development of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) was presented in 1984. Several studies performed to test this theory failed to support it, but subsequent studies did suggest that the hypothesis might be valid. Research with animal models also supported this theory. For example, a genetic strain of rats which is prone to developing IDDM had a 40 to 60 percent incidence of diabetes if fed a chow diet providing protein from many sources, including both plant and animal foods, in infancy. The rate of diabetes was reduced to 0 to 15 percent when young rats were fed only one form of protein. The same phenomenon was observed in another strain of rats that is susceptible to diabetes. The search for specific diabetogenic (likely to cause diabetes) factors in the mixed chow has implicated cow's milk proteins. The author analyzed research data from various countries around the world to assess whether consumption of cow's milk is associated with the rate of IDDM. The analysis did result in a significant positive correlation between consumption of unfermented milk protein and the prevalence of IDDM, and there was also a trend towards an inverse relationship between the rate of breast-feeding at three months and IDDM. This trend suggests that breast-fed babies may have a lower risk of developing IDDM. It should be noted that the method which was used to combine data from various sources retrospectively cannot be considered conclusive, but only suggestive of a possible relationship. Researchers need to collect detailed data on the diets of infants starting from birth, and then follow them to determine which children later become diabetic. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Causes of, Demographic aspects, Diabetes, Diabetes mellitus

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Undernutrition among Bedouin Arab infants: the Bedouin infant feeding study

Article Abstract:

Cultures in the process of societal change appear to follow certain patterns with respect to infant feeding practices and the use of medical services. It has been reported that social change leads to a decrease in the length of time that infants are breast-fed and favors earlier introduction of infant formulas and solid foods. The health care system may also undergo dramatic changes, as modern medicine is added to, or replaces traditional health care. Specific aspects of trends that may adversely affect infant health include bottle-feeding in unsanitary conditions and using contaminated water to mix infant formula. A study of infant nutrition was conducted among the Bedouin Arabs of the Negev, Israel, who are shifting from a seminomadic to a sedentary way of life. A group of 274 Bedouin Arab infants born in 1981 was studied at 6, 12 and 18 months of age to relate infant feeding methods to growth. Overall, few infants were underweight, but a substantial number had stunted growth in terms of their height. The percentages that were stunted at 6, 12 and 18 months were 12, 19 and 32 percent, respectively. Poor height growth was less common among infants who were exclusively breast-fed or fed both breast milk and supplements than among infants who had already been weaned from the breast. Besides weaning, the risk of linear growth retardation was also associated with poverty, the dry season, and severe infection. The most critical time to prevent and treat malnutrition was during the first six months of life; poor nutrition at this early age tended to persist as the infant grew older. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Children, Growth, Bottle feeding, Infant formulas, Bedouins

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Effects of common illnesses on infants' energy intakes from breast milk and other foods during longitudinal community-based studies in Huascar (Lima), Peru

Article Abstract:

Infectious diseases play an important role in determining the nutritional status and growth of children in underdeveloped countries. Infectious diseases may alter nutritional status by causing changes in dietary intake and nutrient absorption and retention. To assess the effects of common infections on dietary intake, 131 Peruvian infants were observed. Infants were monitored for symptoms of illness, and food and breast-milk consumption were measured during 1,615 days of observation. The average energy intake on symptom-free days was 557 kilocalories per day for infants 180 days old and younger, and 638 kilocalories per day for infants 181 days and older. Illness did not affect the amount of breast milk consumed, suckling time, or frequency of breast feeding. However, energy intake from other sources decreased by 20 to 30 percent during diarrhea and fever. The decrease in total energy consumed during illness was attributed to decreased consumption of non-breast-milk foods. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Diseases

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