According to the findings of a new study, eating ultra-processed foods during pregnancy may have an effect on the child’s growth. It was discovered that children with mothers who ingested ultra-processed food (UPF) had larger head circumferences and femur lengths. There was no effect on abdominal circumference.
The study, published in the British Journal of Nutrition, is based on research conducted in Brazil on the food consumption habits of 417 women and the effects they had on their children. With an average age of 24.7 years, nearly half of the moms in the whole sample were pregnant for the first time. According to leading paediatrician Dr. Arun Gupta, convenor of Nutrition Advocacy in Public Interest, a national think-tank of independent medical professionals, the paper contributes evidence in an area that has received little attention thus far. The majority of the studies have focused on adults. It shows that daily consumption of ultra-processed food products during pregnancy has a negative impact on newborn baby growth, Gupta said, adding, The solution is to follow dietary guidelines to promote healthy food diets and avoid UPFs during pregnancy to achieve better foetal growth outcomes.
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