Sweet drinks could be linked to premature birth
A new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has suggested that women who drink a lot of artificially sweetened drinks during pregnancy may be more likely to give birth prematurely.
by Louise-Anne Geddes, Mindful Mum, 30th August 2012
The study analysed data from 60,761 pregnant women who were assessed by self-reported food frequency questionnaires. Their intakes of carbonated and non-carbonated artificially sweetened (AS) and sugar sweetened (SS) beverages were monitored, along with use of artificial sweeteners in hot drinks.
Results
It was found that increasing BMI and energy intake was linked with the intake of both artificially and sugar sweetened beverages. Intake was found to be higher in women who were daily smokers, or with less education. A high intake of artificially sweetened drinks was associated with preterm delivery, with the figures suggesting that drinking one sugary beverage per day could make a woman up to 25% more likely to give birth prematurely.
Conclusions
The researchers, led by Linda England-Ogge from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden concluded that:
“This study suggests that a high intake of both AS and SS beverages is associated with an increased risk of preterm delivery.”
Source: The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Association between intake of artificially sweetened and sugar-sweetened beverages and preterm delivery: a large prospective cohort study, August 2012
Photography: alykat @flickr
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