Another recent Kaiser Permanente study by Gunderson published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology in August 2009 found that women with gestational diabetes are 2.5 times more likely to develop Metabolic Syndrome after pregnancy.

Gunderson explained that further research is needed to learn more about the mechanism(s) through which lactation may influence risk of cardiovascular disease or diabetes. Further research also is needed to learn about whether lifestyle modifications, including lactation duration, may affect development of coronary artery disease and type 2 diabetes, particularly among high-risk groups, such as women with a history of gestational diabetes.

This study was part of the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study, a multi-center, longitudinal, population-based, observational study designed to describe the development of risk factors for coronary heart disease in young black and white adults recruited from four geographic areas in the United States: Birmingham, Ala..; Chicago; Minneapolis; and Oakland.

This study is part of Kaiser Permanente's larger ongoing effort to research and promote the health benefits of breastfeeding. For example, Kaiser Permanente's Riverside, South Sacramento, Hayward / Fremont, Honolulu and Portland, Ore. facilities have all received the international recognition by the World Health Organization and UNICEF as Baby-Friendly(TM) birth facilities for offering an optimal level of care for breastfeeding mothers and their babies.

SOURCE Kaiser Permanente