Following a healthy eating regimen during pregnancy is highly important for the health of both mother and unborn child.  A recent study (1) has emphasised that it is important for pregnant women to include plenty of vegetables as part of their diet.  The study found that daily vegetable consumption by pregnant women was associated with a reduced risk of type I diabetes (insulin dependent diabetes) in their children.

The study (1) assessed and followed 5724 infants and looked at the diet their mothers consumed during pregnancy.  The children were given assessments at age 1, 2.5 and 5 years of age for diagnosis of type 1 diabetes (insulin dependent diabetes).  Low daily consumption of vegetables by the pregnant mother (vegetables were eaten 3-5times per week) was associated to an increased risk of type 1 diabetes in the child when compared to a higher vegetable consumption during pregnancy.

In essence the study found that pregnant women who eat vegetables (at least once) every day seem to have children who are less likely to develop type 1 diabetes.  This is only an association study and does not prove that vegetables protect against diabetes but it is informative and further supports the importance of eating well during pregnancy.  In a press release (2) one of the study researchers commented "This is the first study to show a link between vegetable intake during pregnancy and the risk of the child subsequently developing type 1 diabetes, but more studies of various kinds will be needed before we can say anything definitive,"  "We cannot say with certainty on the basis of this study that it's the vegetables themselves that have this protective effect, but other factors related to vegetable intake, such as the mother's standard of education, do not seem to explain the link," "Nor can this protection be explained by other measured dietary factors or other known risk factors."  It therefore seems plausible that the myriad of nutrients and flavonoids in vegetables are having some kind of action within the growing foetus.

My interest in nutrition prior to, and during, pregnancy started when I was studying for my first degree.  We learned about the work of David Barker who was a researcher at Southampton University.  His hypothesis, which was known as ‘Barker’s hypothesis’ at the time, suggests that maternal diet affects foetal growth and is associated with chronic conditions in the child later in life.  It is suggested that what a pregnant mother consumes during pregnancy might affect the risk of her child developing conditions such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes (3).  This idea is now more widely known as the ‘Developmental Origins of Adult Health and Disease’ hypothesis.  Both over- and under- nutrition and eating during pregnancy can affect the growth and later health, and perhaps weight, of the child (4).  It is important to remember that what you eat during pregnancy not only affects you, the mother, it may also affect the health of the next generation and may directly contribute to cycles of obesity as well as other conditions (4)

As I have mentioned in previous posts relating to pregnancy, if you are pregnant you may wish to consider taking a multi-nutrient supplement specifically designed for pregnant women together with a fish oil (or flaxseed oil) supplement to provide omega 3 fatty acids.  Taking these sorts of supplements may help to make-up for any shortfalls in the diet but cannot be viewed as an alternative to a healthy diet.  Always check with your doctor of health professional before taking any supplements during pregnancy.

(1)Brekke et al.  2009.  Daily vegetable intake during pregnancy negatively associated to islet autoimmunity in the offspring-The ABIS study. Pediatric Diabetes, 2009; DOI: 10.1111/j.1399-5448.2009.00563.x Published Online: 16 Sep 2009
(2) University of Gothenburg (2009, October 27). Vegetables Can Protect Unborn Child Against Diabetes. ScienceDaily. Retrieved October 28, 2009, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091027132422.htm
(3) Barker, D.J.P. (1997). "Maternal Nutrition, Fetal Nutrition, and Disease in Later Life". Nutrition, '13', pg. 807
(4)McMillen C et al.  2009.  Developmental Origins of Adult Health and Disease: The Role of Periconceptional and Foetal Nutrition.  Basic & Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology.
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Written by Ani Kowal