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Pregnant women with healthy eating habits appear to reduce their kids\u2019 risk of childhood obesity<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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A healthy diet is associated with a lower risk of a heavier-than-normal newborn<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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These babies also had a growth pattern that indicates a lower risk of obesity<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
TUESDAY, Nov. 26, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Moms who eat right during pregnancy are setting their kids up for good health, a new study<\/a> says.<\/p>\n
Expectant mothers who ate a quality diet<\/a> were more likely to have kids with healthy birth weights, steadier growth patterns and a potentially reduced risk of obesity later in childhood, researchers found.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe findings support a role for a balanced prenatal diet that aligns with the USDA Dietary Guidelines in promoting healthy birthweights and balanced growth through early childhood,\u201d researcher Monique Hedderson<\/a> of the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research said in a news release.<\/p>\n
For the study, she and her team recruited more than 2,800 mother-child pairs around the U.S. The team used questionnaires to gauge pregnant women\u2019s diet quality, and then tracked their baby\u2019s development.<\/p>\n
Results indicate that a healthy diet during pregnancy has positive effects on an infant\u2019s growth up to 2 years of age, researchers said.<\/p>\n
For example, \u201ceating a healthy diet during pregnancy was linked with a lower chance of extremely rapid infant growth,\u201d investigator Dr. Assiamira Ferrara<\/a>, a senior scientist with the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research, said in a news release.<\/p>\n
Rapid growth from birth to 24 months is a strong predictor of obesity later in life, Ferrara explained.<\/p>\n
The study found that higher diet quality scores were associated with a 12% reduced chance of larger-than-usual newborns, as well as lower rates of rapid growth up to age 2.<\/p>\n
Overall, the findings indicate that making sure expecting moms eat well could help counter childhood obesity, researchers said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis suggests the need for programs to help improve pregnant people\u2019s access to healthy food and interventions to support healthy eating during pregnancy,\u201d Hedderson said.<\/p>\n
The new study was published Nov. 21 in JAMA Network Open<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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