 News
3rd December 2006
Risk of miscarriage for underweight women
Extremely thin women have a 72 per cent increased risk of early miscarriage,
while chocolate eaters reduce their risk.
Researchers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical
Medicine compared 600 women who had miscarried with 6000 women whose pregnancies
continued past 12 weeks gestation.
The study looked at the lifestyles and diets of the women
and and found the increased risk of miscarriage during the first trimester
amongst women whose BMI was less than 18.5.
However, they also determined that the two-thirds of women
who took vitamin supplements during early pregnancy reduced their risk
by around 50 per cent, especially amongst those taking folic acid or iron
and multivitamins with both these added.
The risk was also seen to be halved for women eating fresh
fruit and vegetables daily, and even regular chocolate eating lowered
the risk of miscarriage.
The study also agreed that morning sickness is a good sign,
reducing the risk of miscarriage by 70 per cent.
It is estimated that 1 in 5 pregnancies in the UK end in
miscarriage every year. This affects about 250,000 women and, while there
are some high risk factors, for many there are no known reasons for the
miscarriage.
Lead researcher Noreen Maconochie, a senior lecturer in
epidemiology and medical statistics, said, "It is likely that advice to
encourage a healthy diet and to try and reduce stress and promote emotional
well-being might help women in early pregnancy, or those planning a pregnancy,
reduce their risk of miscarriage."
The Miscarriage Association added, "We speak to thousands
of women who are desperate to find out why they miscarried and what they
can do to prevent it happening again.
"While we still don't have all the answers, these findings
are going to help women who want to reduce their risk of losing a baby
in pregnancy."
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