Maternal “Junk Food” Consumption In Pregnancy Tied To Children’s Mental Health.

Medscape (8/21, Cassels) reports that, according to a study published online Aug. 17 in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, maternal consumption of “‘junk food’ during pregnancy and in early childhood is linked to a significantly increased risk for poor mental health, including anxiety and depression, in very young children.” Researchers arrived at this conclusion after having followed 23,020 mothers and their youngsters who were followed for five years. The study also found that “women who ate more unhealthy foods were significantly more likely to have children with more behavioral problems, such as tantrums and aggression.”