Science Says Sugar During Pregnancy Could Be Linked To Child's Allergies

Hide your treats, Mamas! Researchers are now saying that there could be a link between intake of sugar during pregnancy and a child’s allergies.

CNN reports:

“Women who consume too many sugary foods and drinks during pregnancy may be increasing their children’s risk of developing an allergyor allergic asthma, according to a study published Thursday in the European Respiratory Journal.”

Researchers used data they gathered from over 9,000 mother/child pairs as part of a research project that covered babies born between April of 1991 and December of 1992. The study took a look at the unexplained increase in allergies that cause respiratory and skin issues with the idea that the increase in sugar and synthetic sugar intake over the past 50 years could be linked to the increase in that unexplained increase in those allergies.

Essentially, it found that the children of moms who consumed a higher amount of sugar during pregnancy had a 38% higher risk of an allergy diagnosis and a 78% higher chance of being diagnosed with an allergy to two or more allergens, and 101% increase in the risk of being diagnosed with allergic asthma.

“Bedard and Seif Shaheen, senior researcher of the study and a professor at Queen Mary, emphasized that the research is simply observational and so does not conclude that moms who eat sugar during pregnancy cause allergies in their children.” But they also stated that they can’t rule out the possibility that those findings came up by chance.

Basically, they can’t prove it, not just yet anyway so I wouldn’t start to panic. My three kids were all gestated via Dr. Pepper, red velvet donuts and pull n’ peels and they don’t have a hint of allergies to anything. Maybe they’re outliers, maybe they’re proof there’s nothing to worry about at all. Guess we’ll have to wait and see!

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