Certain types of food like fruit, vegetables and seafood appear to confer some protection against miscarriage when pregnant women eat them three months before and after conception, according to a new study from the UK. Getty Images
A nutritious and balanced diet can reduce the risk of miscarriage, according to new research.
Researchers from the University of Birmingham in the UK looked at 20 studies of over 65,000 women and their eating habits three months before and after conception.
Among their discoveries, published this month in the journal Fertility and sterility:
- High fruit consumption may reduce the risk of miscarriage by 61%.
- High vegetable consumption may reduce the risk of miscarriage by 41%.
- High dairy consumption may reduce the risk of miscarriage by 37%.
- High grain consumption may reduce the risk of miscarriage by 33%.
- High seafood consumption may reduce the risk of miscarriage by 19%.
- High egg consumption may reduce the risk of miscarriage by 19%.
The researchers could not find an association between a lower or higher risk of miscarriage and predefined diets like the Mediterranean diet or the fertility diet. But diets filled with foods high in antioxidants like almonds, beef, and tomatoesand low in inflammatory foods like cookies, crackers, cereals, pastries and sodas, may reduce the risk of miscarriage, they concluded.
Additionally, diets high in inflammatory processed foods have been shown to be associated with a double risk of miscarriage.
What causes a miscarriage?
Miscarriages, also called spontaneous abortions, are common. About a third of pregnancies end in miscarriage, sometimes before a person even knows they are pregnant. according to the non-profit organization March of Dimeswhich defends the health of mothers and babies.
The following factors can cause miscarriages, according to Family Planning:
- Genetic abnormalities in the fetus
- A very serious infection
- A major injury
- Abnormalities of the uterus (in case of late miscarriages, or those that occur after three months)
Having certain chronic conditions like diabetes and having more than two consecutive miscarriages also increase your risk.
The reasons for about half of early miscarriages, however, remain unknown, according to Yealin Chung, lead author of the study and a researcher at the university’s Tommy’s National Center for Miscarriage Research.
“There is growing evidence that lifestyle changes – including diet changes, stopping smoking and stopping alcohol consumption – before conception and at the start of your pregnancy can have an impact,” she said in a press release about the report.
While miscarriage is “very rarely the result of someone’s lifestyle choices”, many expectant mothers seek to learn about the diet and lifestyle choices that can give their baby the best chance of getting started. happy and healthy life, Juliette Ward, midwife at Tommy’s, said in the statement.
In this sense, the following advice is generally given to pregnant women:
- Have a healthy diet.
- Take supplements recommended by your provider such as vitamin D and folic acid.
- Exercise regularly (with your provider’s permission).
- Try to keep your stress level low.
However, more research is needed to determine if more specific advice can be given to pregnant women to prevent miscarriage, perhaps to avoid a certain food category or type of diet, experts say.