We all know that it’s important to make healthy dietary choices while pregnant, but it can be confusing to determine exactly what that means.
We’ve learned not to take “eating for two” too literally, and we know there’s a list of foods that shouldn’t be eaten during pregnancy (like raw fish and deli meats), but aside from that, what are the parameters? Is it enough to limit sweets and get enough vegetables, or should I look into the latest diets and recommendations?
Now, researchers have shared a new diet that shows some positive effects in the lab, but there are also good reasons to speak to your doctor before making drastic changes.
What’s The Diet & What Does It Promise?
One thing that we do know about pregnancy is that the mother’s stress can negatively affect the fetus — a fact that’s sure to make moms worry more, not less. Now, researchers have learned that a ketogenic diet may be a barrier against those adverse effects.
The first caveat? It’s only been tested in lab rats so far. The effect may or may not carry over into humans. It’s also research in very early stages, yet to be peer-reviewed and reproduced in further tests.
The second concern is the diet itself. A ketogenic diet is high in fat and low in carbs and is recommended for specific medical conditions and to alter metabolism. That doesn’t mean it’s necessarily a healthy choice for everyone, and pregnancy may not be the time to test whether it works for you.
Are There Negative Outcomes To Be Concerned About?
Even in lab rats, the outcomes were not all positive. Though a press release announced that stress-related developmental issues were reduced in rats exposed to the ketogenic diets, other health concerns arose in their place.
“The animals on the ketogenic diet grew more slowly than the controls, and so it may be that the reduced caloric intake is associated with the later mental health benefits. And we see sex-specific differences which need to be better understood before we can apply this to humans.”
Also, though it’s being touted as a diet that could protect babies from prenatal stress, it should be noted that the study fed the altered diets not to pregnant mother rats, but to their weaned babies. The babies were weaned at 21 days, and a few were put on the ketogenic diet until 42 days, when they were tested for stress-related issues.
A benefit of research on rats is precisely this: that it can be done much more quickly, since their development moves at a faster rate, but the flipside of this is that it means the test subjects were on their specialized diet for quite a short time, leaving potential long-term effects to guesswork (and further testing).
Will A Ketogenic Diet (After Weaning Or During Pregnancy) Protect Human Babies?
The facts we have about nutrition do change over time. (Those of us who were in school before 2005 have witnessed two significant changes to the old Food Guide Pyramid!)
That does mean it’s always possible that best practices and healthy recommendations will change again.
However, it’s generally safest and healthiest to stick with the current best practices and recommendations from your doctor. If you feel that you or your baby might benefit from going keto or trying out another dietary change, talk to your obstetrician or pediatrician before making any significant changes, and listen to your body for hints about its needs.
Specifically, keto diets can have adverse effects on growing babies. The Cleveland Clinic warns parents that putting kids on a keto diet can result in lethargy and constipation, and may negatively affect growth in the long term.
Even babies who are on keto diets for medical reasons, such as to reduce epileptic seizures, should only be placed on these restrictive meal plans under medical supervision, according to the Epilepsy Foundation. This isn’t just monitoring of weight and observable health, it includes regular checks of blood glucose and ketones.
What Should Parents Do?
If you’re concerned about stress during pregnancy and the potential long-term effects on your baby, talk to your doctor.
They may recommend dietary or lifestyle changes, but they may also suggest ways to decrease your stress levels, possibly including therapy and/or medication. Taking psych meds during pregnancy can be a bit fraught, since many meds may cross the blood-brain barrier, but your doctor can help work out the best balance possible for protecting you and your baby.
After your baby is born, consult with your pediatrician for the best options for protecting their mental health as they grow. While prenatal stress does have measurable effects, it’s hardly the only factor, and fortunately, there are ongoing elements over which you have much more control.
Keeping up with your baby’s regular checkups, providing a safe home environment, and giving your baby nurturing responses that help ensure secure attachment are all proven methods to create the best opportunity for long-term mental health.