MONDAY, May 9, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- Pregnant women who
drink artificially sweetened drinks every day may be more likely to give birth
to heavier babies who are then more likely to become overweight children,
researchers report.
"Infants born to
women who regularly consumed one or more artificially sweetened beverages
during pregnancy were twice as likely to be overweight by 1 year of age,"
said study author Meghan Azad, a research scientist at the University of Manitoba
in Winnipeg, Canada.
By
her definition, an overweight baby weighs more than 97 percent of other babies
of the same height and weight.
This
is the first study to investigate the potential effect of consuming artificial
sweeteners during pregnancy and infant weight gain, Azad said. Interestingly,
the researchers did not find any connection between drinking sugar-sweetened
drinks and infant weight.
And
the effects were not explained by maternal weight, diet, total calories
consumed or other obesity risk factors, she added.
Although
the study didn't prove that artificially sweetened drinks cause infant weight
gain, "caution is warranted," Azad said.
"Given
the current epidemic of childhood obesity and widespread use of artificial
sweeteners, further research is warranted to confirm our findings and
investigate the underlying biological mechanisms. Ultimately, this research
could help improve dietary recommendations for pregnant women," Azad said.
For
the study, Azad and her colleagues collected data on more than 3,000 mothers
and their babies. The women were asked what drinks they consumed during
pregnancy. Nearly 30 percent said they drank artificially sweetened beverages,
including 5 percent who reported drinking them on a daily basis.
The
consumption of artificially sweetened drinks was determined by how often women
drank soda or iced tea containing artificial sweeteners or added sweeteners to
coffee or tea, Azad explained. The researchers could not determine which
artificial sweeteners were consumed in each case.
The study findings were
published online May 9 in the journal JAMA Pediatrics.
One
health expert had a theory on the potential link.
"Limited
research has suggested that artificial sweeteners may degrade the body's innate
mechanisms for sensing caloric intake and responding with feelings of
fullness," said Mark Pereira, an associate professor of epidemiology and
community health at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.
However,
it may not be that artificially sweetened beverages cause these effects on the
fetus and young child. It could instead be the physical and biological
characteristics of the women who choose to consume these beverages frequently,
he said.
Source:
nlm.
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