Eating fruit and veg 'halves miscarriage risk'

December 04, 2006

Eating fruit and veg 'halves miscarriage risk'

We all know that eating a good diet while pregnant is beneficial to you and the baby, but I had no idea it cut miscarriage risk in half.

A study of thousands of pregnant women revealed those who included fruit and veg regularly in their diet were 46 per cent less likely to miscarry. Chocolate, vitamin tablets, dairy products, fish and white meat also increased the odds of a successful pregnancy. Underweight women, however, 70% more likely to miscarry. There was also a slight increase in miscarriage in women whose partners were over the age of 45.
This adds to suggestions that men, like women, have a biological clock, and the quality of their sperm deteriorates over time.
A spokesman for the Miscarriage Association, which funded the study, said: ‘We speak to thousands of women who are desperate to find out why they have 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.’
Although the study did not look at the amount of fruit and veg that should be eaten, pregnant women – like the general population – are usually advised to eat five servings a day.
Vitamin tablets were also found to be highly beneficial, halving the risk of miscarriage.
Eating dairy products such as milk, yoghurt and cheese daily cut the risk by a quarter, while twice-weekly meals of white meat or fish reduced it by around 15 per cent.
Those with a sweet tooth also benefited, with regular chocolate eaters 15 percent less likely to miscarry.
The study of almost 7,000 women looked for links between diet and lifestyle and miscarriage. One of the most important factors was fruit and vegetable consumption, with those who ate the foods daily or almost daily benefiting most.
It is thought that those who eat lots of fruit and vegetables have a healthy diet overall, meaning their bodies are better prepared for pregnancy.