Dietary iron intake in the first 4 months of infancy and the development of type 1 diabetes: a pilot study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Aims</p> <p>To investigate the impact of iron intake on the development of type 1 diabetes (T1DM).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Case-control study with self-administered questionnaire among families of children with T1DM who were less than 10 years old at the time of the survey and developed diabetes between age 1 and 6 years. Data on the types of infant feeding in the first 4 months of life was collected from parents of children with T1DM (n = 128) and controls (n = 67) <10 years old. Because some cases had sibling controls, we used conditional logistic regression models to analyze the data in two ways. First we performed a case-control analysis of all 128 cases and 67 controls. Next, we performed a case-control analysis restricted to cases (n = 59) that had a sibling without diabetes (n = 59). Total iron intake was modeled as one standard deviation (SD) increase in iron intake. The SD for iron intake was 540 mg in the total sample and 539 mg in the restricted sample as defined above.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The median (min, max) total iron intake in the first 4 months of life was 1159 (50, 2399) mg in T1DM cases and 466 (50, 1224) mg among controls (<it>P </it>< 0.001). For each one standard deviation increase in iron intake, the odds ratio (95% confidence interval) for type 1 diabetes was 2.01 (1.183, 3.41) among all participants (128 cases and 67 controls) while it was 2.26 (1.27, 4.03) in a restricted sample of T1 D cases with a control sibling (59 cases and 59 controls) in models adjusted for birth weight, age at the time of the survey, and birth order.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>In this pilot study, high iron intake in the first 4 months of infancy is associated with T1DM. Whether iron intake is causal or a marker of another risk factor warrants further investigation.</p

Recent incidence of type 1 diabetes mellitus in children 0–14 years in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada climbs to over 45/100,000: a retrospective time trend study

Background: To study and update the provincial incidence of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) in Newfoundland and Labrador (NL), a province of Canada with a very high incidence previously reported in 2006, and one of the highest incidences reported worldwide. This is a retrospective time trend study of the incidence of T1DM, in children aged 0–14 years from 1987–2010 inclusive. Findings: Over the study period 931 children aged 0–14 years were diagnosed with T1DM. The incidence of T1DM in this population over the period 1987 – 2010 inclusive was 37.7 per 100,000 per year (95% CI 35. 3, 40.2) The incidence from 2007–2010 was 49.9 per 100,000 per year (95% CI 42.2, 57.6). The incidence over this 24 year period increased by a factor of 1.03 per 100,000 per year. Conclusion: NL has one of the highest incidences of T1DM reported worldwide. Potential reasons for the very high incidence could be related to the unique genetic background of the population, northern latitude and vitamin D insufficiency, low breastfeeding rates, and high rates of cesarean section

Interbirth interval is associated with childhood type 1 diabetes risk

Short interbirth interval has been associated with maternal complications and childhood autism and leukemia, possibly due to deficiencies in maternal micronutrients at conception or increased exposure to sibling infections. A possible association between interbirth interval and subsequent risk of childhood type 1 diabetes has not been investigated. A secondary analysis of 14 published observational studies of perinatal risk factors for type 1 diabetes was conducted. Risk estimates of diabetes by category of interbirth interval were calculated for each study. Random effects models were used to calculate pooled odds ratios (ORs) and investigate heterogeneity between studies. Overall, 2,787 children with type 1 diabetes were included. There was a reduction in the risk of childhood type 1 diabetes in children born to mothers after interbirth intervals andlt;3 years compared with longer interbirth intervals (OR 0.82 [95% CI 0.72-0.93]). Adjustments for various potential confounders little altered this estimate. In conclusion, there was evidence of a 20% reduction in the risk of childhood diabetes in children born to mothers after interbirth intervals andlt;3 years

Breastfeeding best start study: training midwives in a 'hands off' positioning and attachment intervention

The most common reasons cited by women for giving up breastfeeding early can be attributed to ineffective positioning and attachment and are therefore preventable. This study aimed to determine whether a 4-h training programme in 'hands off' positioning and attachment support increases midwives' knowledge and problem-solving skills. Using an unrelated comparison group and a pre- and post-intervention design, 108 midwives (experimental group) completed a 4-h standard breastfeeding training workshop focusing on effective positioning and attachment and the use of hands-off teaching methods. Knowledge and problem-solving skills were assessed using a modified form of the previously validated Breastfeeding Support Skills Tool. Pre- and post-training scores were compared with those of 27 student midwives (control group) who undertook the same assessments but without the breastfeeding training. Baseline knowledge scores of the midwives and the student midwives did not differ significantly (average difference 0.7 points to qualified midwives' advantage, 95% CI = -3.4 to 1.9). Following training, the qualified midwives' total scores increased significantly (7.2 points, +95% CI = 6.2-8.2). Minimal changes (1.4 points, 95% CI = -0.15 to 2.9) in students' scores were found. The additional increase owing to training above that which might be expected due to practice (i.e. the average difference in change scores between the two groups) was 5.8 points (95% CI = 3.75-7.96), representing a large effect size for the training (d = 0.95). There is a large variation in the breastfeeding knowledge of midwives working in post-natal care and, on average, they are no more skilled than senior student midwives. The study has shown that a 4-h workshop in a positioning and attachment intervention, using a 'hands-off' approach, can increase midwives' knowledge of breastfeeding support relevant to the immediate post-natal period. It is applicable to all midwives, and could be a cost-effective way of improving the ability of mothers to begin and continue to breastfeed successfully