from University of Alberta
Eating fruit while pregnant might be recommended on general health principles, but a study from the University of Alberta suggests a significant benefit for babies, too. Researchers wanted to know if they could identify factors affecting cognitive development. Turns out it was how much fruit women consumed during pregnancy. The more fruit, the higher their babies cognitive score at one year old. The benefits of eating fruit were apparent even after taking into consideration family income, education levels of the parents and gestational age of the baby. The latter is a factor since the longer a child is in the womb, the more they develop. Researchers say having one more serving of fruit per day in the pregnant woman’s diet provides her baby with the same benefit as being born a whole week later.