Many pregnant women are asking themselves what is best to eat or drink at this particular time in their lives.
Particular attention to what is eaten and/or drunk is required especially in pregnancies complicated by diseases such as gestational diabetes. This is what is evident from a recent analysis published in the International Journal of Epidemiology, which showed that women with gestational diabetes who have used carbonated and sweetened drinks during pregnancy have greater risks. We talk about this issue with Dr. Elena Anna Zannoni, gynecologist at Humanitas.
The results published in the International Journal of Epidemiology
The researchers examined data from over 91,000 pregnant Danish women with gestational diabetes between 1996 and 2002. About 50% of the women interviewed had consumed sweetened drinks during their pregnancy and 9% had drunk at least one drink a day.
Patients who consumed sweetened and carbonated drinks were 60% more likely to have a macrosome baby, i.e. a higher birth weight, than women who had not consumed sweetened drinks during pregnancy. Similarly, children born to women who drank water instead of sweetened drinks were 17% less likely to be overweight at the age of seven.
Water, as the latest research results seem to show, should therefore be the preferred beverage by pregnant women, given that excessive sugar intake, in addition to the risks of developing gestational diabetes, also involves an increase in the weight of the fetus and consequently the increased likelihood of obstetric risks and the use of caesarean section delivery.
“It is necessary that other studies prove the preliminary data emerged from the Danish study, – concluded Dr. Zannoni, commenting on the study – but the consumption of simple water in pregnancy would seem to be preferable to other behaviors.
Beer and alcohol are to be eliminated completely
Many expectant mothers believe that drinking beer during pregnancy does not affect the health of the fetus. “If a pregnant woman consumes alcoholic beverages including beer, the product of the breakdown of alcohol, that is a metabolite called acetaldehyde, reaches directly into the blood of the unborn child through the placenta – explains Dr. Valeria Scolaro, gynecologist at the Humanitas hospital. The fetus, not being able to metabolize alcohol as an adult, is consequently exposed to the toxic effects of this metabolite for a long time, increasing the risk of birth with the fetal-alcoholic syndrome (FAS), the most serious pathology of the fetus induced by the alcohol consumption of the mother during pregnancy.
What type of water should you prefer during pregnancy?
Calcium water, with a calcium content of more than 150 mg/l, helps pregnant or menopausal women to prevent osteoporosis and also, in some cases, hypertension. Bicarbonate water, with bicarbonate content of more than 600 mg/l, can have an anti-inflammatory effect and help digestion.