Can Probiotics Help Prevent Preeclampsia?

Preeclampsia is one of those dreaded diagnoses that can actually be fatal while you are pregnant. It usually begins with an elevated blood pressure that does not resolve itself, as well as excess protein in your urine.  Although it is unknown what specifically causes preeclampsia, it is believed that it may be due to inflammation in your body, or oxidative stress.

Since the only cure for preeclampsia is to deliver your baby, extensive research has been done for many years to try and figure out what can prevent preeclampsia from occurring so that the best outcomes can be achieved for you and your baby.

A closed study done by Norwegian Researchers recently found that there may be a correlation between probiotic milk products and preeclampsia. When the 33,000  plus women were followed, it was found that if they consumed just 140 ml of probiotic milk products each day, they decreased their chance of developing preeclampsia by 20% and severe preeclampsia by 39%. These findings were published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

Although these findings are pretty significant, further research still needs to be done. As mentioned before, Preeclampsia can be fatal and is responsible for close to 60,000 deaths each year. It affects 2-3% of all pregnancies.

For women who have complications related to preeclampsia, these new findings could be very significant for the overall outcome of both mom and baby. Every day that you are able to prolong delivery up until your due date provides added benefits for everyone involved.

As a RN who works with postpartum women just after delivery, I have seen how devastating the effects of preeclampsia can be. Although probiotic milk products are not a cure all for preeclampsia, if they can lessen your chances it is worth it.

There are also several leading prenatal vitamins on the market that can further lessen your chances of developing preeclampsia. For more information, make sure you check out the top three supplements on pregnancyvitamins.net.

Mothers Taking Probiotics During Pregnancy May Reduce Obesity In Children

A recent study found that taking probiotics during pregnancy may lead to a reduction in gestational diabetes and reduce the risk of obesity later during a child’s life. The development of high blood sugar during pregnancy is known as gestational diabetes, and is linked to the development of Type-2 Diabetes later in life, as well as putting the offspring at an increased risk of obesity and diabetes later in life.

Researchers are reporting that probiotic supplements may reduce the frequency of gestational diabetes by as much as 20 percent according to information published in the British Journal of Nutrition.

Fewer Births of Over Sized Babies

Researchers found that in addition to lowering gestational diabetes that probiotics may also help reduce the mothers from having larger sized babies. In the study they found that the health benefits from the mother and babies may be do towards the balanced maternal nutrition during pregnancy and lactation and by promoting healthy gut micro biota in the mother and the child.

Reducing Childhood Obesity

In light of the fact that birth size is a risk marker for childhood obesity, reduction in larger sized babies may be an important factor in reducing childhood obesity.

This study may add weight to the argument that the continuing problem of obesity in Western Lifestyles may be modifiable. Based on these findings, prenatal dietary measures combined with probiotics could provide a safe and cost effective tool in reducing the obesity epidemic.

Study Findings

At the end of the 24 month study, the researchers found that the frequency of gestational diabetes was reduced in the group taking probiotics (13 per cent), compared to the diet-placebo group (36 per cent) and the control group (34 per cent). In the few women affected by gestational diabetes, the dietary intervention was found to independently diminish the risk of larger birth size in the infants.

In addition, no adverse events were reported to the mother or child, and no effects on the duration of pregnancies were recorded.