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Counting Carbs

Is It Safe to Do During Pregnancy?

By Teri Brown

Low carb is the latest diet craze to hit the nation. Though critics believe the long-term health effects are still undetermined, people like the low-carbohydrate diet because it's fairly simple to understand, seems to work and there are now plenty of products to keep the low-carb fanatic going.

But what about living the low-carb lifestyle when you're eating for two? Many pregnant women may be wondering if a low-carb diet is healthy for their unborn children.

Lynda Blair Vernalia decided she wasn't taking any chances. She had lost 40 pounds on the Atkins diet before she became pregnant, and her health care professional was concerned about her carbohydrate restriction. She sent Vernalia to a series of pregnancy classes at her local hospital.

"During the classes I received a packet with a nutritional guide I could follow for a balanced diet, which included carbs," says Vernalia. "The cards they provided helped me keep track of my diet to make sure I was getting enough of everything. I did not want to deprive my daughter of anything which might be valuable to her development inside my body. My diet was no longer about me. It was about both of us and I needed the energy and strength to carry her."

Many doctors are asking their patients to set aside their low-carb ways – at least for the duration of their pregnancies. But is it really necessary? Becky Hand, a registered dietitian and consultant for Babyfit.com, believes it depends on the situation. "Living the low-carb life can be a healthy lifestyle for the mom-to-be as long as she is consuming enough healthy carbs for normal growth and development of the baby and to meet Mom's calorie and nutrient needs," she says.

But Hand also believes extremely low-carb diets are not safe during pregnancy because carbohydrates are needed so they can be combined with fat fragments and used for energy. "Without sufficient carbohydrates, the body cannot use its fat in the normal way, and there is an incomplete breakdown of fat," says Hand. "This produces a by-product called ketones. When ketones accumulate in the blood and urine, it causes ketosis – a condition that can cause brain damage and irreversible mental retardation in the infant."

Want to see more?

• Eating for Three (or More): The Special Nutritional Needs of Moms Carrying Multiples
• Pregnancy Diet Don'ts: Foods to Avoid While You're Expecting
• A Cheer for Chopsticks: Eating Asian-Healthy During Pregnancy
• Talk about it!

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