Pregnant woman's diet influences the child's future behavior

Credit: Shutterstock

Are you pregnant but not paying much attention to your diet? Besides being important for your well-being, a healthy diet during pregnancy is very important to ensure the necessary nutrient supply for the baby. In addition, what you put on the plate may influence even your child's future behavior, as revealed in new Australian research.

According to the study published in the Daily Mail, pregnant women who have unhealthy diets are more likely to have children with behavioral problems, and eating junk food may be one of the main factors related to this effect.

This research is the first to compare the impact of nutrition early in life, showing how an individual's diet is already related to common mental disorders in adults and adolescents. The study involved more than 23, 000 mothers and children from a Norwegian health program, which were analyzed by researchers at Deakin University in Melbourne, Australia, in partnership with collaborators from Norway.

Read too:

  • Pregnancy exercises improve mood and reduce fatigue
  • Smoking During Pregnancy Increases Risk Of ADHD In Children

For the study, we analyzed the details of the mothers' diet during pregnancy and the feeding of their children from 18 months to three years. The symptoms of depression, anxiety, misbehavior and ADHD (Hyperactivity Attention Deficit Disorder) in children were also measured at 18 months, three years and five years of age.

Study leader Professor Felice Jacka said early life nutrition - including nutrition while the baby is in the mother's womb - is related to future health outcomes such as the risk of heart disease or diabetes.

And this relates eating to the mental health of children, showing that it can cause behavioral damage for a lifetime and that unhealthy junk food options may be primarily responsible for it. The study revealed that the consumption of nutrient-poor options by pregnant women also increases their children's anxiety and depression rates.

"It is now clearer than ever that diet is important for mental health at all ages, " said the researcher, who also warned that each country's government should take action to change the food industry policy. marketing and availability of unhealthy food products for the community, "he said.