Low-Calorie Diets May Cause Premature
Births
Diet Study Summary
According to a recent weight loss study, pregnant sheep fed a low-calorie
diet tend to have a higher risk of premature delivery, which could have
implications for humans.
Diet Study Method
10 sheep were fed a diet meant to lower the animals' body weight by 15
percent prior to mating and for the first part of pregnancy. The sheep
were fed normally for the remainder of pregnancy.
Diet Study Results
Sheep on the restricted diet delivered lambs an average of seven days
earlier than sheep fed a normal diet. The reason why this effect occurred
is not known, however researchers suggested that the mother may send a
signal to the embryo letting it know that the nutritional environment
is poor, and the embryo may modify growth rate and length of gestation
accordingly.
Diet Study Conclusion
Premature birth, which is the number one cause of death among newborn
babies, is associated with a greater risk of mental and physical problems.
As the study results indicate that even modest restrictions in diet around
the time of conception can lead to premature birth, researchers suggest
that women of childbearing age should eat a healthy, balanced diet and
should not diet substantially before the start of pregnancy.
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