Trans fats consumption during pregnancy linked to bigger babies

Research suggests that pregnant women may want to put down the bag of chips, walk away from those pre-packaged snacks and put the tub of margarine back in the fridge if they don’t want to birth bigger babies — and that’s especially true during the second trimester.

According to a study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, pregnant women who consumed foods high in trans fats — synthetic fats found in processed foods — were more likely to give birth to bigger babies.

After examining the dietary habits of nearly 1,370 pregnant women, researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health found that the consumption of trans fats in the second trimester was positively linked to an increase in foetal growth.

No such associations were observed in the first trimester.

Foods that contain trans fats include;