Shakerela Health Design

New research shows that eating high glycemic foods like white bread and chocolate during the later stages of pregnancy may increase obesity in the newborn.

Researchers showed that consuming high glycemic index snacks during the third trimester of pregnancy had an association with heavier birth weight in the offspring and a higher rate of growth in the new borns. This study was recently published in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

It is important to point out that in this study, animals were observed and not humans, however similar results can be applied to human populations. The scientists were from the University College in Dublin, and the National Maternity Hospital in Dublin.

No previous animal studies have shown that short duration intake of high glycemic foods during the third trimester could affect the birth weight and growth rates of newborns. So this study was the first of its kind.

This study is timely because The International Association for the Study of Obesity estimated in 2006 that the number of obese school age children in Europe increased by almost 50 per cents since the late 1990s.
This is a massive increase in the number of obese kids and the numbers are projected to increase. IASO believes that more than one third of the child population will be overweight in the next 4 years which is staggering.

So, the take home message is to control the high GI foods during the entire pregnancy, but especially the third trimester. Focus on healthy controlled calorie foods and supplements and always incorporate some physical activity into the daily routine.

Wishing you all the best of health!
Dr. Luigi
Website: http://drluigi.com


Source: BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology
Published online ahead of print, Early View, doi: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.2009.02149.x
“Transient high glycaemic intake in the last trimester of pregnancy increases offspring birthweight and postnatal growth rate in sheep: a randomised control trial”
Authors: N.A. Smith, F.M. McAuliffe, K. Quinn, P. Lonergan, A.C.O. Evans