Lower Cholesterol Good for Mom and Baby

Results of a Norwegian study have shown that pregnantwomen who stick to a diet low in cholesterol have less riskof delivering prematurely. The results of the study werereported in the American Journal of Obstetrics andGynecology.

The researchers studied the effects of a diet designed tocut cholesterol on levels of lipids in maternal, cord, andneonatal blood, as well as on overall pregnancy outcome, in290 nonsmoking pregnant women aged 21 to 38 years. Fromthe 17th to the 20th week of pregnancy until birth, the motherseither kept to their regular diet or adopted a diet rich infish, low-fat meats and dairy products, oils, whole grains,fruits, vegetables, and legumes.

When the women delivered, only one of the 141 women onthe low-cholesterol diet delivered before the 37th week,compared with 11 of the 149 who stayed with their regulardiet. According to Janette Khoury,MD, of the National Hospitalin Oslo, "these results indicate that dietary intervention inpregnancy can modify cardiovascular risk factors in pregnancyand may result in health benefits for mother and child."