Studies show drinking soft drinks during pregnancy may make your baby fat

The researchers found that daily consumption of artificially sweetened beverages was associated with twice the risk of higher had babies who were overweight at age one, compared with women who drank no artificial sweeteners altogether.

"To our knowledge, we provide the first human evidence that maternal consumption of artificial sweeteners during pregnancy can affect BMI baby," said the study led by Meghan Azad University of Manitoba.

The report, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Pediatrics, is based on self-reported survey data.

Therefore, stopping short of proving any cause and effect, but it should encourage more research into this problem, the scientists said.

Consuming a diet soft drink during pregnancy can cause a baby to have overweight. Image: iStock

Consuming a diet soft drink during pregnancy can cause a baby to have overweight. Image: iStockSource: iStock

More than 3000 mothers login their dietary habits, which are then analyzed by the researchers.

The body mass index measured their babies at the age of one year. Nearly 30 percent of women reported drinking artificially sweetened beverages during pregnancy, but this study did not identify the type of sweetener women are taking.

The researchers said they controlled for potentially confounding factors that could play a role in the baby's weight, such as the sex of baby, if the mother is overweight, and whether or not the baby was breastfed - and for how long.

The report also found a link between children's BMI and self-reported consumption of sugary drinks pregnant women.

previous studies on the matter have been conducted with laboratory animals. Some studies have found that artificial sweeteners can trigger appetite and lead to weight gain, or may disrupt the intestinal bacteria is important and increases the risk of heart problems.

This study showed that daily consumption of artificially sweetened beverages is associated with a higher risk of having babies who are overweight at the age of one. Image: iStock

This study showed that daily consumption of artificially sweetened beverages is associated with a higher risk of having babies who are overweight at the age of one. Image: iStockSource: iStock

However, data from observational studies are often contradictory, says an accompanying editorial in JAMA Pediatrics by researchers Mark Pereira of the University of Minnesota and Matthew W. Gillman of Harvard Medical School.

They describe the current findings as "interesting" but also "beginning" because they relied on questionnaires, which may contain errors.

Also, the study did not explore the biological mechanisms play. "Despite this warning, the findings by Azad et al warrant attention and further research," they wrote.

"Randomized clinical trials to replace the artificial-sweetened drinks to sweetened drinks or, equally valuable, water for artificial-sweetened beverages would be very helpful," he said.