According to UPI, a mother’s high-fat diet may increase the risk of stillbirth. A new study by the Oregon Health & Science University in Portland has found that a high-fat diet during pregnancy may increase the risk of stillbirth. Dr. Frias, principal researcher and assistant of obstetrics and gynecology at the university says that a typical American died, high in fat, decreases blood flow from the mother to the placenta. The placenta is a temporary organ that nourishes the fetus during pregnancy.
The study was conducted on primate placenta because the placental structure of the Japanese macaque is very similar to that in humans. The study found that maternal diet during pregnancy has a profound influence on both placental and fetal development, said Frias. The high-fat diet our society is used to has negative effects on placental function and may be a contributor to stillbirth. The findings published in the journal Endocrinology said that the blood flow from the mother to the placenta was lowered in 38 – 56% of pregnancies. Other abnormal placental developments such as placental inflammation has been associated with birth defects.
Similar international studies conducted in the UK, Singapore and New Zealand, found that maternal diet can affect a child’s DNA and cause them to be obese later in life.
