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SWIFT Study

The Study of Women, Infant Feeding and Type 2 Diabetes after Gestational Diabetes is an ongoing study of women with gestational diabetes and their children. The mothers and children have been followed from pregnancy and birth across the life-course to understand the impact of prenatal and postnatal factors, breastfeeding, and early nutrition on future development of type 2 diabetes and heart disease in women and children.

Our sincere thanks to all SWIFT Study participants for making our research possible and advancing new knowledge of women’s health, with a special focus on gestational diabetes, type 2 diabetes, and the growth and health of their children.

Gestational diabetes is a condition of elevated blood sugar during pregnancy that has lasting effects on the future health of women and their children, specifically increasing their risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life.

The SWIFT study enrolled 1,035 women with gestational diabetes from 2008 to 2011 who were members of Kaiser Permanente Northern California. The study recruited women during pregnancy who participated in in-person research visits starting annually from 6-9 weeks post-delivery through 2 years later to measure glucose tolerance, infant feeding practices, lifestyle behaviors, and health outcomes for women’s and their infants. These research visits for the first SWIFT Study of mothers and their children were completed in 2015. The research findings were published in high-impact scientific journals and are summarized under key findings.

The original SWIFT study evaluated lactation intensity and duration and future development of type 2 diabetes in women after gestational diabetes. The study found that lactation had persistent beneficial effects on cardiometabolic risk factors after pregnancy, and that breastfeeding for 5 months or more, was independently associated with about 50% reduction in the relative risk of type 2 diabetes up to 2-3 years after delivery.

Two new studies in SWIFT mothers and youth are underway; these include the SWIFT Follow Up in Women Study, and the new SWIFT Study in Youth.

SWIFT Study Goals - Original and New Studies

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Determine how the metabolic changes from breastfeeding (lactation) may influence a woman’s future risk of developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease after pregnancy.  

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Develop a simple blood test after delivery to predict future risk of developing type 2 diabetes in women with previous gestational diabetes.  

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Determine how early life behaviors, including infant feeding and diet in the first year of life (such as sugar sweetened beverages and natural fruit juice) may affect the growth and health of their children whose mothers developed gestational diabetes for early prevention of risk factors and type 2 diabetes.  

Research Questions Addressed by the SWIFT Study (See publications)

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Does breastfeeding a child (increased lactation intensity and duration) lower their risk of future diabetes after pregnancy in women with gestational diabetes?  

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Does the longer duration of breastfeeding affect the growth of the infant of mothers with gestational diabetes?

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What biological markers in the blood during the early postpartum period will predict future development of overt diabetes in women with previous gestational diabetes?

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