Pregnant Women Drink Soda, Is It True That It Can Risk Miscarriage? This Is What Doctors Say

Many mothers may wonder, “Can pregnant women drink soda? Is it safe for the fetus and mother?”

It is clear that many pregnant women are concerned about the safety of the food and drinks they consume. Because, all intake consumed will affect the development and growth of the fetus.

Find answers about pregnant women drinking soda below.

Is it true that drinking soda causes miscarriage?

In fact, there is no medical evidence that carbonated drinks can cause miscarriage .

However, several food and drug regulatory agencies in countries around the world do not recommend carbonated drinks for pregnant women.

Here are some side effects of the ingredients in soft drinks:

Contains Artificial Sweeteners and Other Additives

These artificial sweeteners include aspartame, saccharin and sucralose. Aspartame is the most commonly used sweetener in soft drinks.

Pregnant women who consume drinks containing aspartame are at risk of increasing the possibility of birth defects in babies . This has been proven through several studies.

While other additives can generally cause fetal development disorders. So, it’s better to avoid artificially sweetened drinks, Mom.

High sugar soda

The sugar content in soft drinks can reach 10-15 teaspoons or the equivalent of 160 to 240 calories.

If pregnant women consume drinks with high sugar content, it is not impossible that blood sugar levels will increase rapidly, thus triggering gestational diabetes .

If a pregnant mother experiences gestational diabetes, the baby is at risk of experiencing breathing problems at birth, low birth weight, jaundice at birth and premature birth.

Sodium and Caffeine can cause high blood pressure

High caffeine can cause high blood pressure which can be dangerous for both the mother and the fetus.

Several studies have shown that high levels of caffeine can cause premature birth, birth defects, low birth weight, impaired brain development, and trigger several reproductive problems.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends a safe daily caffeine intake limit for pregnant women of around 200 mg.

But remember, Mom, caffeine is not only found in coffee, but also in tea, chocolate, and other foods.

Carbonic Acid Will Absorb Calcium, Causing Pain

The carbonic acid content in soft drinks will enter through the blood vessels and will absorb the calcium contained in the bones.

So if the body lacks calcium, bones will become brittle, bone pain in pregnant women will become even worse.

This carbonic acid can also be risky for pregnant women’s digestion. So pregnant women should be wise in consuming this carbonated drink, Mom.

Seeing some of the terrible risks above, mothers need to avoid consuming carbonated drinks during pregnancy.

Well, hopefully this information can increase mothers’ awareness of foods or drinks that contain the ingredients above, OK?

Is It Safe to Drink Diet Soda or Diet Coke?

Diet soda may seem like a safer choice during pregnancy.

However, if you drink it every day, it can pose a risk to pregnant women and the fetus, the website said.Baby Center. 

One large study of more than 60,000 pregnant women found that those who drank at least one artificially sweetened soda a day had a 38 percent greater risk of giving birth prematurely (before 37 weeks) than women who didn’t drink any diet soda at all.

Pregnant women who drink at least four diet sodas a day have nearly 80 percent higher risk of premature birth .

Another smaller study of about 3,000 pregnant women found that those who drank diet soda every day were twice as likely to have overweight babies by their first birthday.

What are the Effects of Soda on Pregnant Women?

In general, sodas that are full of sugar and artificial sweeteners are not good for pregnancy. Almost all the chemicals and calories in soda have no nutritional value, as quotedHealthline.

So, soda can only make you feel full, without providing any benefit to you or your growing baby.

More completely, here are the effects of soda on pregnant women:

Risk of Diabetes after Pregnancy

The sugar in soda increases your risk of diabetes, and gestational diabetes also increases your risk of high blood pressure during pregnancy. And after giving birth, you are at risk for type 2 diabetes.

Risk of Premature Birth

A 2012 study found that drinking more than one sugary or artificially sweetened beverage a day may increase the risk of preterm birth.

Therefore, it is recommended that you monitor your sugar intake during pregnancy and avoid sugary drinks such as soda.

Risk of Birth Defects

Healthline explain, saccharin (inSweet ‘N Low) is not recommended because it crosses the placenta and there is not enough research to show how it affects a growing baby.

However, most artificial sweeteners approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), including aspartame, acesulfame-K, and sucralose (Splenda), are generally believed to be safe during pregnancy in moderate amounts.

The only exception is if you have phenylketonuria, a rare genetic disease that affects your ability to process the amino acid phenylalanine, an ingredient in aspartame.

For pregnant women with this condition, it can increase the risk of birth defects.

Of course, there isn’t a lot of research on whether all artificial sweeteners cross the placenta or affect a baby’s development. However, some of the research that does exist suggests that they may have long-term effects.

What are the Effects of Soda on the Fetus?

There is also research that suggests that too much sugar, especially from sugary sodas, can have an impact on your pregnancy and your baby’s development, even after birth. Here are the impacts as quotedHealthline:

Possibility of Overweight Fetus

Sugary drinks, including soda, should also be avoided if you have gestational diabetes or may be at higher risk of developing it.

That’s because gestational diabetes can cause complications for you and your baby. Your baby may grow too large , increasing the risk of a difficult delivery.

Plus, older babies may have trouble regulating their blood sugar after birth.

Fetuses Are at Risk of Having a Worse Verbal Memory

Research from 2018 found that those who consumed a lot of sugar, especially from sugar-sweetened soda, had babies who grew up with poorer nonverbal problem-solving skills and verbal memory.

Risk of Asthma in Children

The results of this 2017 study showed that sugary drinks consumed during pregnancy can affect children’s chances of developing asthma by age 8.

And other research suggests that drinking sugary drinks in the second trimester may affect children’s body fat in mid-childhood.

Soda Affects Children’s Verbal Ability

A 2018 study found that soda affected children’s motor, visual, and spatial skills in early childhood and their verbal skills in middle childhood.

Obesity Risk at Age 1 Year

Meanwhile, another study found that artificial sweeteners can make children twice as likely to be overweight by age 1. 

These are the risks of pregnant women drinking soda that mothers should understand. So, limit consuming this type of drink during pregnancy, okay, mothers.

Hope it is useful.

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Artikel telah diupdate oleh: Kalamula Sachi

Republished with permission from theAsianParent Indonesia