According to a new study, the risk of fetal growth restriction can be reduced to a large extent when women have a high-quality diet during pregnancy. Fetal growth restriction can even lead to stillbirth in some cases and other complications. The Healthy Eating Index, popularly known as HEI, as designed by the US Department of Agriculture, was used as a benchmark for analyzing the diet of pregnant women. This is the standard that is used to study the implications of diet on various health conditions like cancer, heart diseases, and diabetes.
High-Quality Diet Lowers Fetal Growth Restriction Risk In Pregnancy
As part of the research, experts analyzed the diet history of women to understand its impact on FGR. The data of women in their third trimester and those who had delivered within three months were analyzed during this research. Apart from that, experts also tried to analyze the impact of diet on gestational diabetes and hypertension. Many women face such complications during pregnancy, and this can have an impact on the overall health of the baby.
It was observed that nearly 20% of the participants had an HEI score of more than 70, which is considered a good number for pregnant women. On the other hand, nearly 80% of the participants had an HEI score of less than 70.
Interestingly, the group that had an HEI score of more than 70 was 67% less like to have FGR. Not only that, but the chances of having high blood pressure during pregnancy also decreased by nearly 50% for such women.
It is common knowledge that eating a healthy diet during pregnancy can avoid various complications during delivery. Apart from that, it can also impact the overall health of the baby in the long run. This study has shown that HEI data can be used as a reference tool to identify those women who are at risk of FGR or other complications during delivery.
It is also important to note that having a good HEI of more than 70 reduces the chances of high blood pressure during pregnancy. Even though having slightly higher than normal blood pressure during pregnancy is not a big problem, it should not go too high for a prolonged period. Some women suffer from very high blood pressure during pregnancy, and it cannot be easily treated with regular medication. In that situation, pregnant women often suffer for the entire duration of pregnancy, and this leads to various health complications. It can also impact the health of the baby and even lead to stillbirth in some cases.
Pregnant women should be very careful about their diet as this has a direct impact on the baby’s health. In this regard, they should consult their doctors regularly and discuss their diet plans. The doctors can help the patients to modify the diet suitably so that it provides sufficient nutrition and keeps them active throughout the day. In this way, various complications can be avoided during pregnancy.
Apart from that, doctors also recommend pregnant women to exercise regularly as this helps to improve the blood circulation in the body. It also helps to avoid blood pressure problems and diabetes to some extent. Not only that but exercising regularly during pregnancy can also avoid complications during delivery. Most women who lead an active lifestyle and eat a healthy diet during pregnancy can normally deliver without any complications.
Experts feel that the HEI should be considered seriously by doctors while handling pregnancy cases. This can give a clear indication about the possible complications in the future when the score is very less. Doctors can suggest better diet plans for such patients to improve their HEI scores.
