Cut back on the chips when pregnant

Ditch the crisps for a healthy baby

A diet rich in chips and crisps during pregnancy can increase the risk of giving birth to a baby with a lower birth weight, a study suggests.Ditch the crisps for a healthy baby.

 An international study, led by the Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL) in Barcelona, found that women who had a high intake of acrylamide during pregnancy were more likely to give birth to baby with a lower birth weight and a smaller head circumference.

 Acrylamide is a chemical which is formed in high-carbohydrate foods such as crisps, chips or crackers when they are cooked at high temperatures such as when frying roasting, toasting and baking. It is also known to cross the placenta, and scientists have been concerned about the potential health risk to the unborn child.

CREAL researchers looked at the diet of 1,100 pregnant women and newborn babies from Denmark, England, Greece, Norway and Spain between 2006 and 2010. The women were questioned about their diet and other lifestyle factors which could affect the unborn baby, including smoking. Baby cord blood samples also provided researchers with information about levels of acrylamide exposure during the last months of pregnancy. The difference between mothers exposed to high levels of acrylamide and those exposed to low levels may be up to 132 grams in the baby’s weight and 0.33 centimetres in the size of the baby's head, the researchers said. The highest levels of acrylamide were found in newborn babies from England and the lowest in babies from Denmark.

Professor Manolis Kogevinas, study coordinator and joint scientific director from CREAL said: " The reason for the high levels of acrylamide observed in many women in this study is undoubtedly the diet. "The estimated effect of high-level exposure to acrylamide is comparable to the well-known adverse effect of smoking on birth weight." The study was the first to look at the link between acrylamide exposure during pregnancy and birth outcomes.

CREAL researcher, Dr. Marie Pedersen, who led the study added: " The public health implications of the findings in this study are substantial.  "Reduced birth weight, in particular low birth weight, has been shown to be related to numerous adverse health effects early or later in life such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes.  Furthermore, reduced birth head circumference has been associated with delayed neurodevelopment."

Yahoo Lifestyle