High Fat Diet During Pregnancy Contributes To Heart Defect

Women who are pregnant have a long list of dietary restrictions they are expected to follow throughout the duration of their pregnancy. The list continues to grow as more research is conducted on various birth defects. The latest diet restriction may prove to be very hard for some women, especially with the raging hormones and cravings associated with pregnancy.

New research indicates a diet high in fat may be related to cleft palate and congenital heart disease. Fortunately, the defects are believed to occur only in women who lack a specific gene known as Cited2. The deficiency appears to be the key to these birth defects. The study was conducted by British researchers at the Wellcome Trust Center for Human Genetics at the Oxford University.

Researchers fed a group of healthy mice a high fat diet before and throughout the gestational period. Another group of mice with the genetic defect Cited2 was also fed the same high fat diet. A control group of mice was given a healthy balanced diet. The offspring of the mice with the Cited2 defect was twice as likely to have a heart defect than the offspring whose mother did not have the defect. Cleft palate was seven times more likely. Researchers conclude that the risk factor is only apparent when a mother has the Cited2 defect and consumes a high fat diet before and during pregnancy. Many women are unaware of any genetic mutations they may have and inadvertently put their unborn baby at risk by consuming a high fat diet.