Babies could suffer ill-health if mum eats too many chips in pregnancy

Published on 23/10/2012 01:33

EATING chips during pregnancy can lead to significant health problems for newborn babies, research suggests.

Consuming a vast quantity of chips, crisps and biscuits during pregnancy can lead to babies having a lower-than-average birth weight, the study found.

Mothers-to-be who have a high intake of acrylamide – found in commonly consumed foods and coffee – are also more likely to have a baby that has a smaller head circumference.

Babies born to mothers with a high intake of acrylamide were found to be up to 132g lighter than babies born to mothers with low intake, researchers said.

Acrylamide is produced naturally in food as a result of cooking starch-rich food at high temperatures, such as when baking or frying. It has been found in a wide range of home-cooked and processed foods including crisps, chips, bread and coffee.

“The potential public-health implications of our findings are substantial,” the authors said.

“Increases in head circumference are an important indication of continued brain growth, and reduced birth head circumference has been associated with delayed neuro-development.

“Reduced birth weight is a risk factor for numerous adverse health effects early in life, and has been associated with multiple adverse outcomes later in life, such as reduced stature, increased incidence of cardiovascular disease, type-2 diabetes and osteoporosis.”

The study, led by the Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology in Barcelona, involved 20 research centres in Europe including the Born in Bradford research programme.