Eating Fewer Nuts is Beneficial for Pregnancy

Taking a Look at the Effects of Your Diet on Your Baby's Health

Aug 20, 2008

The more nuts you eat during pregnancy, the more likely your baby will develop asthma, according to new research conducted in the Netherlands.

For years, we did not realize that what the mother was exposed to or consumed in her diet during pregnancy would have long-lasting effects on her baby. Mothers were even told to restrict their calories so that the baby would not become too large. And mothers in previous generations often consumed larger amounts of caffeine since they were not aware of the effects on the baby.

We have learned now that not only does what the mother eats affect her baby's short-term development over 9 months, but it can also have longer effects on the health of the baby. Fascinating research by Dr. Nathanielisz shows that a lack of nutrients in the mother's diet at various stages during pregnancy can affect the baby's organ development and size. And ultimately if those organs do not develop properly, the baby's body must compensate in ways that can cause chronic disease and illness in adulthood.

Researchers have found yet another reason for mothers to think about the long-term effects of their own diet on the health of their baby. A July 2008 study in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care looked at mothers' consumption of a variety of foods such as vegetables, fish, eggs, milk products and nuts. With nearly 3,000 mothers participating in the study and results that spanned from birth to 8 years of age, researchers were able to conclude that mothers who ate nuts daily increased their baby's chance of developing asthma symptoms by 47%. When mothers ate any of the other foods on the list, researchers did not find any increase in the number of children who developed allergies or asthma.

Should You Avoid Nuts During Pregnancy?

Even though researchers from this study do not recommend that mothers completely eliminate nuts from their diet at this juncture, based on the results of this study, there appears to be a pathway for allergy antibodies to pass from mother to baby. Limiting your intake of these highly allergenic foods such as nuts may be a good strategy. Another thing to consider is your family history of allergies. If you have a strong family history of allergies, experts do recommend that your should consider reducing the amount of nuts you eat during pregnancy. And since the proteins from peanuts can also be carried through breastmilk, mothers should also reduce or eliminate nuts from their diet while breastfeeding. Pediatrician today also recommended that children under the age of three not be given nut or nut products.

The copyright of the article Eating Fewer Nuts is Beneficial for Pregnancy in Prenatal Health is owned by Brenda Lane. Permission to republish Eating Fewer Nuts is Beneficial for Pregnancy in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.