Pregnancy when too thin is easy to lose

Women with a body mass index of less than 18.5 (considered underweight) during pregnancy will have a 72% increased risk of miscarriage in the first 3 months. That is the result of a new study in the UK.

The research team at London's School of Tropical Hygiene has investigated 600 women with miscarriages and 6,000 pregnant women over 12 weeks. They found that those who ate a lot of fruits and vegetables as well as chocolate daily would reduce the risk of miscarriage.

(Artwork: Flickr) Factors that cause miscarriage have been known to include advanced age, history of miscarriage and malfunction in pregnancy. But there are many other factors that are still not fully understood, including alcohol consumption, smoking, caffeine use.

New research explores women's lifestyles and diets. Women who are underweight have a 72% higher risk of miscarriage in the first quarter than normal. But if vitamins are taken during pregnancy, two-thirds of the pregnant women will reduce their risk by 50%. The most obvious effect is in women taking folic acid, iron or vitamins containing these substances. Eating fresh fruits, vegetables and chocolate every day also halts the risk of miscarriage.

Single women are also at increased risk of miscarriage, similar to those who had previously aborted (60% increased risk) and those who received IVF in vitro fertilization (a 40% increase in risk).

Pregnant women plan to reduce their risk of miscarriage by 40%. But in this group, women who have taken more than a year to conceive have a double risk of becoming pregnant in just 3 months.

The study also confirmed that morning fatigue is a sign of good pregnancy progression. Women with nausea and fatigue in the first 12 weeks often lose 70% of the risk of miscarriage. The more severe the degree of fatigue, the better the chance of a good pregnancy progressing.

Researchers recommend that a healthy diet, reduced stress and positive mood will help women reduce the risk of miscarriage and improve the health of both mother and child.

MT