Pregnant women should avoid low carbohydrate diet, as it can increase the risk of birth defects in babies such as neural tube birth defects, reveals a new study.
The study published in the journal Birth Defects Research found that women with low carbohydrate intake are 30 percent more likely to have babies with neural tube defects, such as spina bifida (malformations of the spine and spinal cord) and anencephaly (absence of major portions of the brain and skull), that can lead to lifelong disability and infant death, when compared with women who do not restrict their carbohydrate intake.
Low Carbohydrate Diet
A low carbohydrate diet helps achieve weight loss. It is a diet plan that restricts the carbohydrate intake.
Advertisement
‘Adequate amounts of folic acid needs to be taken by pregnant women, as it helps reduce the risk of neural tube defects.’
Tweet it Now
This is the first study to evaluate the relationship between low carbohydrate intake and having children with neural tube defects. The new study was from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
"We already know that maternal diet before and during early pregnancy plays a significant role in fetal development. What is new about this study is its suggestion that low carbohydrate intake could increase the risk of having a baby with a neural tube defect by 30 percent. This is concerning because low carbohydrate diets are fairly popular," said Tania Desrosiers, PhD, MPH, and research assistant professor of epidemiology at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, who led the study.
![Atkins Diet]( "Atkins Diet")
Atkins diet is a low carbohydrate diet and aids in weight loss. It was developed by Robert Atkins.
Tania Desrosiers also said, "This finding reinforces the importance for women who may become pregnant to talk to their health care provider about any special diets or eating behaviors they routinely practice."
Folic acid is an essential nutrient that minimizes the risk of neural tube defects. More than 20 percent of women in the U.S. have blood folate concentrations below the recommended level to reduce risk of neural tube defects.
For this reason, in 1998 the Food and Drug Administration began requiring that folic acid be added to enriched grain products. Desrosiers and her study collaborators found that dietary intake of folic acid among women with restricted carbohydrate intake was less than half of other women.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that all women who may become pregnant take a daily multivitamin with at least 400 micrograms of folic acid every day before and during pregnancy.
However, because almost half of all pregnancies in the U.S. are unplanned, many women do not initiate folic acid supplementation until later in pregnancy, after a neural tube defect may have occurred. This makes fortified foods an important source of folic acid for women who may become pregnant.
Source: Eurekalert
Atkins Diet
Atkins diet is a low carbohydrate diet and aids in weight loss. It was developed by Robert Atkins.
Advertisement
Tania Desrosiers also said, "This finding reinforces the importance for women who may become pregnant to talk to their health care provider about any special diets or eating behaviors they routinely practice."
Folic acid is an essential nutrient that minimizes the risk of neural tube defects. More than 20 percent of women in the U.S. have blood folate concentrations below the recommended level to reduce risk of neural tube defects.
For this reason, in 1998 the Food and Drug Administration began requiring that folic acid be added to enriched grain products. Desrosiers and her study collaborators found that dietary intake of folic acid among women with restricted carbohydrate intake was less than half of other women.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that all women who may become pregnant take a daily multivitamin with at least 400 micrograms of folic acid every day before and during pregnancy.
However, because almost half of all pregnancies in the U.S. are unplanned, many women do not initiate folic acid supplementation until later in pregnancy, after a neural tube defect may have occurred. This makes fortified foods an important source of folic acid for women who may become pregnant.
Source: Eurekalert
Birth Defect - Structural Defects
A structural birth defect means that a specific body part is missing or mal-formed during the embryonic development.
Advertisement
 Neural Tube DefectsNeural tube defects are abnormalities that affect the brain, spine and spinal column of the developing embryo and appear during the first month of pregnancy. | Advertisement
|
Advertisement
Recommended Readings
Latest Women Health News
An AI tool called Flan-T5 identified postpartum hemorrhage with 95% precision and detected 47% patients with the condition.
Active surveillance of cervical lesions was associated with higher cervical cancer risk in the long term compared to its removal.
Japan initiated the trial of selling morning-after contraceptive tablets over-the-counter in an effort to lower abortion rates and solace for rape victims.
The rising number of urinary tract infections (UTIs) among Indian women can be attributed primarily to social stigma and a lack of awareness.
Pregnant women with Sjogren's or lupus syndrome have elevated anti-Ro/SSA antibodies which are linked to fetal atrioventricular block in the heart.