More trans fat in pregnancy tied to bigger baby

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n">(Reuters) - Pregnant women who consume trans fats from snack foods, fast food and other less-than-ideal fare may give birth to bigger babies, according to a U.S. study.

The study, reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, centered on nearly 1,400 pregnant women. It found that the higher the woman's intake of trans fats -- which raise "bad" LDL cholesterol, but also lower heart-healthy HDL cholesterol -- during the second trimester of pregnancy, the larger her newborn was.

The study did not prove that trans fats alone boost fetal growth, and if they did, it is unclear how harmful that could be. But there are risks to having a larger-than-normal newborn, said lead researcher Juliana Cohen, of the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston.

Big babies may have to be delivered by Ceasarean-section and studies have found that they may have increased risks of diabetes and heart disease later in life, Cohen added.

"It's prudent to limit trans fats in your diet anyway. Pregnant women may want to think about how (the fats) could affect fetal growth as well," she said.

Artificial trans fats are found in foods that contain partially hydrogenated oils, including many baked and fried packaged foods like chips, crackers and cookies, as well as fast food.

Some meat and dairy products contain natural trans fats, but people get the bulk of their trans fat in the artificial form - although food producers and some restaurants have been cutting back in response to poor publicity.

The latest study was based on about 1,400 Boston-area women who gave birth between 1999 and 2002. The women completed dietary questionnaires during their first and second trimesters.

The relationship between higher trans fat intake and birth size held even after researchers accounted for factors such as pre-pregnancy body weight, income, education and calorie intake.

They calculated that for every 1 percent increase in trans fat as a replacement for carbohydrates in a woman's daily diet, her baby's fetal growth "Z score" -- which takes into account a newborn's birth weight and the week of pregnancy during which the baby was born -- inched up slightly.

Cohen said that while the effects of this would likely be limited in later life, the foods that contain trans fats were best limited for overall health.

Unfortunately, she added, these sorts of foods are often the ones women crave during pregnancy. SOURCE: bit.ly/pHY4jG

(Reporting from New York by Amy Norton at Reuters Health; editing by Elaine Lies and Ron Popeski)

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HEALTH MANAGEMENT. Change the trans fat labelling recommended by experts

Not all trans fats are the same and it is time for nutrition labels according to this reality, says a University of Alberta-nutrition expert.
After a scientific evaluation carried out by Spencer Proctor, Canadian and international colleagues natural trans fats from ruminant animals such as dairy produced and cattle are not harmful to health. In fact, they show significant positive health effects and some evidence left also this natural trans fats to lower risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer.
A different fatty acid profile as industrial trans fatty acids has naturally occurring after the review, trans fat, what its different physiological effects. Ruminant trans fat is naturally occurring and meat and dairy products, while industrial trans fatty acids is a component of partially hydrogenated vegetable oils have been strongly associated with cholesterol and coronary heart disease.
Consumers are on a regular basis about what she should and do not eat bombed. The primary goal to avoid what is often fat and trans fats in particular have a negative reputation.
"A change in the appearance of trans fat information on nutritional information would be a big step forward," says Proctor, a researcher in the Department of agriculture, food and nutrition, is Director of the metabolic and heart circulation diseases lab at the U A. "right now, in Canada and the United States, a significant part of the natural trans fats, the content in the diet name trans fats calculation is included, which is misleading for the consumer." "We need reflect a reset in our approach, what tells us the new science."
Spencer adds that natural trans-fatty acids in the nutrition label calculation is not included in some European countries. Another approach might be separate entries for industrial trans fats and natural trans fats have.
Researchers evaluated an evidence from numerous studies in the review. On the basis of the promising results so far are plans for new studies, continue to study the health effects of the natural ruminant of derived trans fats dynamics.
A leading scientific program under the direction of Proctor was recently one million US dollar research funding from the Alberta livestock and meat agency this line of study in the next few years further approved.
"With industry, the science, regulatory authorities and other major groups in this area work together we can continue to steps up out to public better understand the health effects of the natural ruminant trans fats, to help", says Proctor.

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