University of California Study Finds Pregnant Women Eat Harmful Foods

A new study by researchers at the University of California at Riverside and the University of California at San Diego finds that pregnant women routinely consume food and beverages that contain toxins that may be harmful to developing fetuses. The researchers conducted a survey which found that pregnant women often ate tuna fish, canned food, products with caffeine, alcohol, and over-the-counter medications that may be harmful.

Sarah Santiago, a doctoral student in psychology at the University of California at Riverside and a co-author of the study, stated, “Unlike alcohol and nicotine which carry a certain stigma along with warnings on the packaging, tuna, canned food, caffeine, and a handful of other foods and beverages with associated developmental effects are not typically thought of as unsafe. Hopefully this study will encourage health care providers to keep pregnant women well informed as to the possible dangers of unhealthy consumption habits.”

The research was published in the July issue of Nutrition Journal.