During
pregnancy, it can be hard not to give in to those cravings for unhealthy foods.
But researchers have found that mothers who eat junk food while pregnant are
more likely to have children with mental health problems.
Researchers
from Deakin University in Australia, alongside researchers from Norway,
analyzed more than 23,000 mothers who were a part of the Norwegian Mother and
Child Cohort study.
The
study, published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and
Adolescent Psychiatry, gathered information regarding the mothers' diets
throughout pregnancy and their children's diets at both 18 months and 3 years
of age.
The
mothers were also asked to complete questionnaires when their children were 18
months, 3-years and 5-years-old to establish symptoms of:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Conduct disorder
- Attention-deficit
hyperactivity disorder.
The
researchers then analyzed the relationship between the mothers' and children's
diets, and the mental symptoms and
behaviors in the children aged 18 months to five-years-old.
Results
of the study reveal that mothers who eat more unhealthy foods during pregnancy,
such as sweet drinks, refined cereals and salty foods, have children with
increased behavioral problems, such as aggression and tantrums.
Additionally,
the findings show that children who eat more unhealthy foods in their first
years of life, or who lack nutrient-rich foods such as vegetables, also show
increased aggression and behavioral problems, as well as symptoms of depression
and anxiety.
Associate
professor Felice Jacka, researcher at the IMPACT Strategic Research Center at
Deakin University, says:
"It
is becoming even more clear that diet matters to mental health right across the
age spectrum."
"These
new findings suggest that unhealthy and 'junk' foods may have an impact on the
risk for mental health problems in children, and they add to the growing body
of evidence on the impact of unhealthy diets on the risk for depression,
anxiety and even dementia."
Felice
Jacka adds that there is an urgent need for governments everywhere to take note
of the evidence and change policies to restrict the marketing and availability
of unhealthy food products to the community.
"The
changes to our food systems, including the shift to more high-energy, low nutriotion foods developed and
marketed by the processed food industry, have led to a massive increase in
obesity-related illnesses right across the globe," she says.
The UK National
Health Service notes that although there is no need to go on a special
diet during pregnancy, it is important to eat a variety of different foods
every day to ensure both mother and baby get the right balance of nutrients.
They add
that instead of eating snacks that are high in fat and sugar, try a healthy
alternative such as:
- Sandwiches or pita bread
filled with grated cheese, lean ham, mashed tuna, salmon or sardines, with
salad
- Salad vegetables - such as
carrot, celery or cucumber
- Low-fat yoghurt or fromage
frais
- Hummus with bread or
vegetable sticks
- Ready-to-eat apricots, figs
or prunes
- Vegetable and bean soups
- Unsweetened breakfast
cereals, or porridge with milk
- Milky drinks or unsweetened
fruit juices
- Fresh fruit
- Baked beans on toast or a
baked potato.
Written by Honor Whiteman
