Study: Obese pregnant women may reduce the IQ of their babies

In the past, there have been many studies on the impact of pregnant women on fetal health, including that pregnant women drinking, smoking, and even eating French fries can cause considerable harm to the mother herself or the child; and a study in the United States also found that if pregnant women are overweight, it will also have a negative effect on the IQ of the child, so expectant mothers have to be cautious.

Pregnant women should also pay attention to weight control when replenishing their bodies. Being overweight may even affect the IQ of their children when they grow up.

The study was conducted by Ohio State University and published in the Maternal and Child Health Journal. The researchers analyzed 3,412 children aged 5 to 7 years old and tested the children's cognitive abilities using math and reading questions from the Peabody Individual Achievement Test. In addition, the mothers' body mass index (BMI) was also recorded; more than half of the pregnant women were within the normal weight range, but 9.6% were overweight, with a BMI of more than 30.

The average test score was 106.1, but the children of obese pregnant women only scored 99.9, which was about 3 points lower than others on average. Lead author Professor Pamela Salsberry said the findings could help reduce obesity rates among women, especially those who are of childbearing age and want to have children. In addition, data analysis also found that the average family income, parents' education level, and pregnancy period will also affect children's test scores; and first-born children or girls also perform better.

Pregnant women should not only pay attention to not being too fat, but also be careful about what they eat. British research has found that if women drink alcohol in the early stages of pregnancy (the first three months), the IQ of the fetus will be lower after birth; and if they eat foods containing acrylamide during pregnancy, such as French fries, toast, etc., the acrylamide will enter the fetus through the placenta, thereby affecting the growth of the fetus, and the harm is equivalent to smoking.