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(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Being underweight can put women at higher risk of miscarrying during the first trimester of pregnancy.
In a new study, underweight women were 72-percent more likely to lose the baby before 13 weeks.
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But packing on the pounds isn't the only answer. The study also showed underweight women who took multivitamins -- especially those containing folic acid and iron -- and who ate more fruits and vegetables cut the risk of miscarriage by about half. Eating chocolate was also associated with a lower risk of miscarriage.
There were other surprising findings in the study. The research also showed women were more likely to miscarry if:
- They were unmarried or not living with the baby's father
- Their baby's father was different from the father in a previous pregnancy
- They had suffered a previous termination of pregnancy
- They had experienced fertility problems
- They had undergone fertility treatments to become pregnant
- Their pregnancy was unplanned
- They had taken more than a year to conceive
In keeping with previous research, the investigation linked a reduced risk of miscarriage to morning sickness -- and the worse the sickness, the better the odds.
British researchers questioned about 600 women who had recently had a miscarriage in the first trimester. These women were compared to about 6,000 women whose most recent pregnancy had progressed past the first trimester.
This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, who offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, go to: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.
SOURCE: BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, published online Dec. 3, 2006
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