Assessment of Breastfeeding and Nutritional Factors in Children with Type 1 Diabetes Aged 0-5 Years

Abstract

Aim: This research was conducted to determine the nutritional factors affecting the risk of type 1 diabetes, breast-feeding and nutritional factors in the complementary feeding period in children with type 1 diabetes aged 0-5 years. Subjects and Methods: In this research, 36 children (14 boys, 22 girls) with type 1 diabetes aged 0-5 years were included and a questionnaire was applied to the parents. Also, nutritional status of subjects was examined with the anthropometric measurements and the dietary intake records. Results: It was found that 55.6% of the children were breastfed in the one hour after birth, 8.3% of the subjects stopped breastfeeding in the 0-3 mo, 68.3% of the children exclusively breastfeed for 6 mo, 11.1% of the children started to complementary foods in the 0-3 mo and 52.8% of the children started to get complementary foods in the 7-9 mo. It was found that none of the children was introduced cow’s milk in the 0-6 mo, 55.6% of the children were introduced cow’s milk in the 10-12 mo, 41.7% of the children were introduced cereals in the 7-9 mo and 66.7% of the children do not take vitamin D supplementation. Conclusion: However it was determined that the children were not introduced early (<3-4 mo) with cow’s milk and cereals, but exclusively breastfeeding rates were inadequate, breastfeeding was stopped in <3 mo (n=3) and no vitamin D supplementation in most of the children are noticing factors for type 1 diabetes. Beginning after delivery, healthy nutritional recommendations for the prevention of the disease and for the prevention of the initiation of the diabetic disease process of type 1 diabetes particularly in genetically susceptible individuals is essential.