We have talked on many occasions about how the mother's diet affects the development of the baby. A new study in this regard has revealed that consume trans fat in pregnancy could be related to larger babies at birth.
Scientists at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston (United States) studied the eating habits of 1,400 pregnant women during the first and second trimesters of pregnancy.
They found that the higher intake during the second trimester of pregnancy of trans fats from snacks, fast food and other unhealthy dishes, which reduce the levels of so-called 'good' cholesterol and raise those of 'bad' cholesterol, larger was the size of the newborn.
Recall that the so-called trans fats are partially hydrogenated oils that are used in the food industry in order to confer greater stability and durability to high consumption foods. They are found in some margarines, cookies and bakery products, microwave popcorn, industrial pastry, candies, salty and sweet snacks, ice cream, precooked foods, sauces and a good part of products included in the fast-food family.
The study authors clarify that trans fats alone do not cause fetal growth, but they do warn about increased risk of pregnant women who consume trans fat to have larger babies at birth.
The risk of babies who are born too large, also known as macrosomic babies, is that they may need a caesarean section to be born, a risk-free intervention, and that they are more prone to obesity and to develop diabetes and heart disease during their lifetime.
Other studies have already talked about the relationship between a high-fat diet and an increased risk of obesity in children, so pregnant women should take care of their diet by acquiring good eating habits and eliminating excess fats and sugars from their diet.
