Although, in general, there are not many limitations regarding the feeding of mothers during pregnancy or lactation, there are certain foods and drinks that are recommended to avoid in these two stages, such as alcohol.
While sodas and juices are not considered dangerous, a study recommends limiting them, as it has been found that consuming sugary drinks frequently during the first months of breastfeeding could affect cognitive development , causing delays or long-term problems.
The study
Published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition , this new research carried out by the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, was given the task of analyzing the associations of maternal intake of fructose and sugary drinks and juices during lactation, with the Infant neurodevelopmental outcomes at 24 months of age.
The mothers participating in the study were asked to report how many sugary drinks, particularly soft drinks and juices, they consumed per day during the first month of breastfeeding their babies and thereafter, until the next five months, that is, during the first six months, where breastfeeding should be exclusive.
After 24 months and as the children turned two years old, they were given standard child development tests for their age, which recorded the children’s process through the performance of specific tasks.
These tasks, which include measuring their attention to familiar and unfamiliar objects or looking for objects that have fallen, are used to measure important aspects of their development, such as their ability to recognize and command motor skills, in order to identify early if the children have any problems or delays .
Upon concluding the study and analyzing the information obtained, it was found that the children of mothers who had reported higher amounts of sugary drink consumption, had obtained poorer results in their cognitive development tests .
Therefore, the final results of the study suggest that the consumption of soft drinks and juices should be limited due to the high sugar content they usually have , since it is not only good for the health of the mother, but also for the baby.
Although this information is not something that was not known before, since we already recommended limiting the consumption of soft drinks or carbonated drinks when we talk about healthy eating during breastfeeding, now with all the more reason we must limit as much as possible its consumption in this important stage .
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Via | CTV News
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