During a pregnancy, we can continue with our life and normal routines as long as we have the approval of our doctor. However, something we must always take into account is our diet. When we are waiting for a baby we must have a healthy diet, taking care of the types of food we consume, as well as our weight.
Now a study reaffirms the advice of doctors not to try to keep diets that restrict certain foods, since it was found that the eating a low carb diet during pregnancy could increase the risk of neural tube defects, such as anencephaly or spina bifida.
It is more than proven that the pregnant woman's diet influences the baby's health, and that dieting during pregnancy can also be a risk for him. While it is important to take care of what we eat so as not to gain a lot of weight, we should also not go to the opposite extreme and undergo diets that are definitely not a good idea during a pregnancy.
The study
A recent study gives us an example of why we should not try new diets or completely eliminate certain types of foods, since they found that by reducing or disappearing carbohydrate consumption, there could be serious consequences on the baby's health, specifically in the neural tube.
For this study, the researchers analyzed information from the National Study of Birth Defect Prevention conducted between 1998 and 2001 in nine states of the United States, and for which 11,285 pregnant women participated. Of the total number of mothers who participated, 9,545 of them had babies who were born healthy, while 1,740 had babies who were born lifeless or died within a few days because they had anencephaly or spina bifida.
He consumption of carbohydrates and folic acid Before conceiving their babies, it was calculated based on the answers they gave in the questionnaires about how often they ate certain foods. Based on the nutritional data of the participants, the researchers determined as a restricted intake or under the amount of 95 grams of carbohydrates per day.
The results showed that women who had followed a low carb diet had increased the probability that their babies were born with neural tube defects by at least 30%, which could include anencephaly and spina bifida.
A healthy diet in pregnancy
In pregnancy - and even before conceiving a baby - it is important to have a healthy and balanced diet, looking for ingredients that are as healthy as possible and keeping the variety in our diet, and keeping in mind the basic principle of quality over quantity.
Remember that during pregnancy you should go regularly to check-ups and follow the instructions given by the doctor, which will be according to your particular needs.
