Sweet but Toxic: How 1,000 Days of Post-Pregnancy Sugar Consumption Can Impact Your Baby’s Health

According to a study published in the journal Science on the 1st, reducing sugar intake during the first 1,000 days of pregnancy (from conception to age 2) can reduce a child’s risk of developing chronic diseases as an adult.

Researchers found that reducing sugar intake during this period reduced the risk of type 2 diabetes by about 35% and the risk of high blood pressure by about 20%. They also found that disease onset was delayed by four and two years, respectively.

According to a study published in the journal Science on the 1st, reducing sugar intake during the first 1,000 days of pregnancy (from conception to age 2) can reduce a child’s risk of developing chronic diseases as an adult. Getty Images

The research team looked at data before and after Britain’s World War II-era sugar rationing system ended in September 1953.

In January 1940, Britain began rationing to provide a fair share of food in preparation for food shortages caused by the war. Rations of foods such as sugar, fat, bacon, meat, and cheese were limited.

When rationing of sugar and sweets ended in September 1953, the average daily sugar consumption of British adults doubled almost immediately, from about 40g to 80g.

The researchers looked at health data from the UK Biobank. This data was collected on approximately 60,183 participants born between October 1951 and March 1956, before and after the end of rationing. Through this, we looked at the impact of a huge increase in sugar consumption.

“Our analysis over a six-year period showed a 30 percent reduction in the risk of obesity in pregnancies or babies born during the sugar rationing period,” said Tadeja Grachner, lead author of the study and senior economist at the Center for Economic and Social Research at the University of Southern California. “Type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure were found to increase more rapidly after the sugar rationing period ended,” he said.

The study also found that limiting sugar consumption in utero and during infancy may reduce lifelong preferences for sweets, with restriction in utero alone accounting for about a third of the risk reduction.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns that many children ages 1 to 5 do not eat enough fruits and vegetables each day, while they are consistently consuming sugary beverages.

Mark Corkins, professor of pediatrics and director of the Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, says parents should first reduce sugar consumption in their young children.

“You have to set a good example because children tend to follow their parents’ eating habits,” he said.