Modern understanding of antenatal breast milk expression in women with gestational diabetes: effectiveness, safety, benefits and harms (literature review)

The deterioration of maternal health and the increasing percentage of women with pregnancy complications lead to disrupted lactation and, consequently, a decrease in breastfeeding rates in this group of infants during the first year of life. Research on antenatal breast milk expression is relevant due to the need to evaluate its effectiveness in correcting hypoglycemia in newborns of mothers with gestational diabetes, as well as ensuring safety for mothers.

The purpose of the study: Analysis of foreign experience in the implementation of prenatal pumping of breast milk, in order to prevent hypogalactia and hypoglycemia in children from mothers with gestational diabetes mellitus.

Materials and methods. The review includes published data for the last 16 years. The literature was searched in the Medline and PubMed databases.

Results. Currently, there are no unified approaches to prenatal pumping in world practice. The safety of antenatal pumping in the analyzed literature has been confirmed at 34 to 37 weeks of gestation, while the safety at an earlier stage remains insuffciently investigated. As a preventive measure of hypogalactia, prenatal pumping of breast milk promotes the early establishment of lactation, but does not demonstrate a statistically significant relationship with the frequency of hypoglycemia and the need for intensive therapy in newborns with diabetic fetopathy.

Conclusion. An analysis of the literature data has shown that prenatal pumping of breast milk has an ambiguous prognosis in the prevention of hypoglycemia in newborns with diabetic fetopathy. In turn, prenatal pumping of breast milk has a beneficial effect on the establishment of lactation, reduces the frequency of use of breast milk substitutes.

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