The dangers of a mother’s high sugar diet with newborns

FOR SHOWERS DEVELOPING FRIDAY. JENNIFER: IN TODAY’S WOMAN’S DOCTOR, MOTHERS WHO CONSUME LARGE AMOUNTS OF SUGAR COULD BE PASSING THAT ADDED SUGAR ON TO INFANTS THROUGH BREAST MILK, HAMPERING THE CHILD’S COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT. MERCY MEDICAL CENTER DR. ASHANTI WOODS SAYS CONSUMING HIGH SUGARY FOODS WHILE BREAST FEEDING IN THE FIRST MONTH OR TWO CAN PLAY A ROLE IN THE BABY’S COGNITIVE HEALTH DOWN THE ROAD. DR. WOODS JOINS WITH US MORE INFORMATION. THANKS FOR JOINING US. >> GOOD MORNING, JENNIFER. THANK YOU. JENNIFER: HOW SERIOUS SHOULD WE TAKE THIS. THERE ARE MOMS WHO LOVE SUGARY DRINKS AND ARE NOW FREAKING OUT. >> WHEN YOU BREAST FEED, YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING THE BEST FOR THE BABY AND YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THE BABY IS GIVEN THE BEST NUTRITION. UNKNOWINGLY, A MOM MIGHT CONSUME A SUGARY BEVERAGE WITH JUICES OR ADDING TOO MUCH SUGAR TO THE COFFEE THAT COULD HAVE LONG-TERM RAMIFICATIONS. . THE STUDY SHOWED THAT KIDS OR INFANTS, THAT IS, WHO WERE EXPOSED TO MOMS WITH HIGH SUGARY INTAKE WHEN THEY WERE ASSESSED FOR THEIR DEVELOPMENT AT TWO YEARS OF AGE, THOSE CHILDREN HAD LOWER SCORES IN COMPARISON TO MOMS WHO BREAST FED WHO DIDN’T HAVE HIGH SUGARY CONSUMPTION. IF IT WAS MY CHILD, I WOULD ENCOURAGE MY WIFE, AFTER SHE’S ALREADY MADE A SACRIFICE OF, YOU KNOW, NOT EATING THE FOODS PERHAPS THAT SHE WANTS TO EAT DURING PREGNANCY AND THE DRINKS SHE WANTS TO DRINK DURING PREGNANCY, I HAVE TO SAY, HEY, BABE, IF POSSIBLE, TRY TO LIMIT YOUR SUGAR CONSUMPTION AND HOW MUCH SUGAR? THAT WASN’T QUITE STUDIED, BUT WE SEEM TO THINK FIVE TO SIX TEA SPOONS OR LESS IS PROBABLY A SAFE AMOUNT OF SUGAR PER DAY. JENNIFER: PRACTICALLY THINKING, AFTER TIFRS SIX MONTHS TO A YEAR OF LIFE, KIDS ARE MOVING ON TO OTHER TYPES OF DRINKS ON THEIR OWN. DID THE STUDY TAKE ANYTHING LIKE THAT INTO ACCOUNT OR STRICTLY WITH THE ISSUE OF BREASTFEEDING? >> THIS STUDY LOOKED AT BREASTFEEDING. WHAT YOU MENTIONED IS RESEARCH DONE PREVIOUSLY. THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS ACTUALLY MADE NEW RECOMMENDATIONS IN TERMS OF JUICE INTRODUCTION. BEFORE YOU CAN INTRODUCE JUICE AS EARLY AS 6 OR 9 MONTHS. WE SAY NO TO THAT ANYMORE. 12 MONTHS IS THE EARLIEST TO INTRODUCE JUICE TO CHILDREN AS THE RECOMMENDATION. WHEN YOU INTRODUCE IT AT 12 MONTHS LIMIT IT TO FOUR OUNCES PER DAY. WE DON’T WANT YOU TO INTRODUCING IT AT 12 MONTHS. THE ONLY TIME IT SHOULD BE IS IF THEY’RE HAVING CONSTIPATION AND YOU WANT TO GET THEIR BOWELS MOVING. OTHERWISE, WAIT AS LONG AS YOU CAN, 18 MONTHS, 24 MONTHS OR LATER. THE DENTIST WILL BE HAPPY AND WE AS PEDIATRICIANS WILL BE HAPPY AS WELL. JENNIFER: ISN’T THAT THE TRUTH. TALK ABOUT WHY SUGAR AFFECTS THE BRAIN SO MUCH. >> IT PLAYS MULTIPLE ROLES. IT’S IMPORTANT, PROVIDES SOME ENERGY. TOO MUCH OF ANYTHING, INCLUDING SUGAR, CAN HAVE BAD EFFECTS. NOT ONLY CAN IT AFFECT THE BRAIN BUT THE HEART, THE KIDNEYS, THE PANCREAS. SPECIFICALLY, WITH THE BRAIN, THAT’S WHAT THE RESEARCH IS DOING. WHY IS IT EXACTLY THAT SUGAR CAN LEAD TO THESE LOWER OUTCOMES? IS IT EFFECTIVE IN NEURONS, THE PATHWAYS? THAT WE DON’T KNOW YET. THAT’S WHAT ONGOING RESEARCH IS INVESTIGATING. JENNIFER: DR. WOODS, THANKS FOR JOINING US THIS MORNING. ALWAYS A PLEASURE TO HAVE YOU ON. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE APPRECIATE IT. TAKE CARE. JENNIFER: IF

The Woman’s Doctor: The dangers of a mother’s high sugar diet with newborns

Updated: 9:58 AM EST Feb 22, 2021

In this Woman’s Doctor segment, mothers who consume large amounts of sugar could be passing the added sugar to their infants through breast milk. That could hamper the child’s cognitive development. Mercy Medical Center Dr. Ashanti Woods said consuming high sugary foods and drinks while breast feeding, within that first month or two of life, can play a role with baby’s cognitive health down the road. Dr. Woods joins us with more information.

In this Woman’s Doctor segment, mothers who consume large amounts of sugar could be passing the added sugar to their infants through breast milk. That could hamper the child’s cognitive development. Mercy Medical Center Dr. Ashanti Woods said consuming high sugary foods and drinks while breast feeding, within that first month or two of life, can play a role with baby’s cognitive health down the road. Dr. Woods joins us with more information.