An observational study carried out by Danish researchers demonstrates an increased risk between excessive consumption of sodas in pregnant women and the risk of congenital heart defects for the unborn child.
Alcohol, seafood, raw meat… Pregnancy involves complying with various dietary restrictions. In order to limit the risk of gestational diabetes, sugar is also added to the list of foods to avoid. Especially sodas, which could be the cause of congenital heart defects, reveals a study published in The American Journal of Clinical Restriction.
Danish researchers from the Institute Statens Serum Institut (Copenhagen, Denmark) surveyed 66,387 pregnant women about their eating habits during their second trimester. The aim was to investigate the association between dietary glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL) with the consumption of sugary drinks and the risk of congenital heart defects for the offspring.
“Gestational diabetes, especially when severely deregulated, is associated with an increased risk of congenital heart defects in offspring. This suggests that glucose plays a role in the development of the embryonic heart,” explain the scientists behind the work.
An increased risk of 1.2 to 2.6%
Of the more than 65,000 future offspring studied, 543 of them presented with a congenital heart defect. High soda consumption has been linked to an increased risk of birth defects in children by 1.2-2.6%. No association was found with other types of beverages, the research said.
“The study does not support the association between high GI and GL in mid-pregnancy and an increased risk of congenital heart defects in the offspring. Nevertheless, a statistically significant association between sugary soft drinks and a moderately increased risk of congenital heart defects in children was observed”, conclude the authors of the study.
In France, between 6,000 and 8,000 babies are born each year with a congenital heart defect, ie an anatomical anomaly in the heart or the pulmonary valve. While symptoms can vary greatly from patient to patient, some malformations can prove fatal shortly after birth.
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