Is eating junk food during pregnancy harmful to the health of the Baby?
It is quite normal to have food cravings during pregnancy, especially for the unhealthy foods. However, consuming junk food during pregnancy can harm the health of the baby in more ways than you have ever thought.
Both the health of the female and her baby depends upon consuming a diet rich in nutrients such as minerals, vitamins, omega-3 fats, antioxidants and proteins. Junk food is mostly low in fiber and nutrients and high in calories, refined sweeteners, hydrogenated oils and sodium.
The most usual effect of consuming junk food while pregnant is excessive weight gain by the mother. According to health experts, obese and overweight females are significantly more prone to develop complications of pregnancy including hypertension induced by pregnancy, gestational diabetes, preterm labor, miscarriage, still birth and increased birth defects in the baby.
According to studies conducted on rats at the Nene University College, U.K. a protein deficient diet consumed during pregnancy leads to underdeveloped kidneys in the baby which results in hypertension and kidney disease as the baby reach adulthood. It is believed by researchers that adults who have an intrauterine exposure to defective nutrition are prone to develop hypertension and heart disease.
According to researchers from Norway and Australia it has been found that mothers who consume junk food during pregnancy are more prone to have children suffering from mental health problems. The study conducted by these researchers revealed that mothers who ate more junk food such as refined cereals, sweet drinks and salty foods, while pregnant have increased behavioral problems including tantrums and aggression in their children.
Another research conducted by the University of Adelaide and published in the FASEB journal, has found that mothers who eat junk food during pregnancy program their babies to get addicted to a high sugar and high fat diet. This effect comes from the fact that babies born to such mothers are less sensitive to the feel good hormones which needs them to eat more sugar and fat to get the good feeling. This effect would also cause these children to overeat during their lives.