The impact of sugar in pregnant women’s diet on children’s lives: research reveals long-term effects

A study by the University of Bristol found that children of mothers who consumed more sugar grew up with a lower BMI, ate less sweets, and had better school results. This is reported by UNN with reference to Medical Xpress.

Details

Researchers focused on a unique event in the UK. On April 24, 1949, after seven years, the British government lifted confectionery rationing, leading to queues across the country and a surge in demand for chocolate and sweets. People, including pregnant women, were desperate to indulge.

The study examined how a mother’s sugar consumption during pregnancy can affect her child’s health later in life.

The research team used health and lifestyle data from 36,000 to 85,000 participants in the UK Biobank, born between April 1947 and May 1952, to determine how exposure to more sugar in the womb affected later-life outcomes.

Scientists looked at a range of factors, including heart disease, body mass, height, diabetes, diet, education, and birth weight, and found that a high-sugar diet left a long-term mark on the lives of infants.

Researchers found that people who “experienced a sugar surge in the womb in 1949 had a lower BMI in adulthood and performed better in school. These individuals also consumed 0.9% less sugar.”

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Stefanie von Hinke, Professor of Economics at the Bristol School of Economics and lead author of the study, said: “Post-war food rationing in the UK ended 70 years ago. Our research shows that this era in food history has left a surprising legacy that is still with us.”

According to her, the results are consistent with the concept of “fetal programming,” where prenatal conditions, including diet, affect health and behavior in the long term.

In other words, the high-sugar diet of 1949 helped these babies cope with the high-sugar world we live in now. Another theory is that treats helped mothers relieve stress. Perhaps this happiness allowed mothers to bond better with their newborns, promoting infant development.

However, researchers warn against the consequences of a sudden, temporary increase in sugar consumption, similar to what was observed in 1949.

Professor von Hinke, who researches the economics of health and nutrition, added that this study does not support a high-sugar diet during pregnancy. Indeed, the 1949 diet was very different from today’s, as many other foods were rationed.

“Our results clearly show that what a mother does during pregnancy – what she eats, how much she smokes and drinks, and how happy she is – can affect the child later in life, when they are 50, 60, or 70 years old,” Hinke concluded.

Recall

A new study found that rising temperatures due to climate change are causing Americans to consume more sugar, primarily in the form of sugary drinks and ice cream. This could exacerbate health problems, especially among less affluent populations.

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