While eating as much vegetables, fruits and grains as possible benefit pregnant mothers, the same cannot be said of consuming meat, sweet and salty foods.
“Unborn children are affected by any dietary choice,” stressed Nona D. Andaya-Castillo, an official of Nurturers of the Earth, a nongovernment organization (NGO) managed by the International Board-certified Lactation Consultants.
“The consumption of cured meats during pregnancy can raise the chances of developing brain tumor in the offspring by as much as 33 percent,” added Andaya-Castillo, citing epidemiologic studies establishing the chronic elevation of cortisol levels in children and young adults as a result of their mothers’ dietary choices that could later raise the risk of developing hypertension, diabetes and heart disease.
In a June 30 press conference in Quezon City, Nurturers of the Earth urged the Department of Health to promote lifestyle changes among pregnant women, pointing out that since 1979, an increasing number of Filipino mothers have died due to hypertension during pregnancy or childbirth.
In a statement sent to Inquirer, the NGO disclosed that in 2013, the World Health Organization predicted that, despite the increased number of Filipino women having access to universal healthcare, many will still die due to complications in childbirth.
“The DOH assured that this could be prevented with effective family planning health services, antenatal care and access to health facilities. However, it seems their strategy, which the USAID funded with P8 billion in 2013, has not abated this menace,” the statement said.
Part of the Nurturers of the Earth’s approach to motherhood is based on the following observations: Studies show that a dietary pattern characterized by high intake of vegetables, plant foods and vegetable oils decreases morning sickness and the risk of preeclampsia, whereas a dietary pattern characterized by high consumption of processed meat, sweet drinks, and salty snacks increased the risks. Preeclampsia—as defined by the Mayo Clinic—is a pregnancy complication characterized by high blood pressure and signs of damage to another organ system, often the kidneys.
In 2012, Inquirer Science/Health quoted a Filipino scientist who explained that a predominantly meat-based diet could lead to fetal programming of genes involved in stress responses of the developing baby.
“Balik Scientist” Custer Deocaris cited a study of Dr. Hamid Jan of Malaysia showing that a vegetarian diet alters head circumference and birth weight among babies born in Malaysia (the study is titled “Higher intake of fruits and vegetables in pregnancy is associated with birth size”).
Deocaris initially explained Jan’s study: “This means, babies born to mothers who love meat become more stressful.” He added: “Babies with hyperactivated stress axis tend to grow up as adults who have difficulty managing their anger are more aggressive and have higher risk for heart disease.”