NEW DELHI: Consumption of ultra-processed food during pregnancy may impact the child’s growth, according to findings from a recent study. It was found that the children’s head circumference and femur length was higher in cases where mothers consumed ultra-processed food (UPF). No impact was found on the abdominal circumference.
The study, published in the British Journal of Nutrition, is based on research in Brazil on the food consumption patterns of 417 mothers and the impact of it on their children. Out of the total sample, nearly half of the mothers were pregnant for the first time, with an average age of 24.7 years.
“Frequency of UPF consumption was negatively associated with skeletal components of foetal growth in late pregnancy. Infant body composition may benefit from healthy food practices during pregnancy,” the study said.
The report adds evidence in the area not much studied so far, said senior paediatrician Dr Arun Gupta, who is also the convenor of Nutrition Advocacy in Public Interest, a national think-tank of independent medical experts. “Most of the studies have been on the adult population. It shows negative impact of daily consumption of ultra-processed food products during pregnancy on the growth of newborn babies,” Gupta said, adding, “The solution is to follow dietary guidelines to promote healthy food diets and avoid UPFs during pregnancy to achieve better foetal growth outcomes.”
UPFs are industrial formulations made by deconstructing natural food into chemical constituents. It destroys the fundamental food matrix. The fibre content is ripped off; and sugars, fats or salts are added. They are modified with cosmetic additives such as emulsifiers, stabilisers, colouring agents and flavours.
Increased intake of UPFs is associated with a higher incidence of overweight, diabetes, cancers and heart diseases.