Diet drinks linked with preterm labour risk

Midwives magazine: August 2010

Pregnant women who regularly drink artificially sweetened soft drinks are at increased risk of having a preterm birth, according to a new study.

Danish researchers conducted prospective cohort analyses of just under 60,000 women from the Danish National Birth Cohort between 1996 and 2002.

Soft drink intake was assessed mid-pregnancy by a questionnaire. An association with preterm delivery was seen in women who regularly consumed both carbonated and non- carbonated artificially sweetened drinks – there was no increased risk of preterm birth in sugar-sweetened soft drinks.

Women who drank at least one serving of artificially sweetened carbonated drinks every day were 1.38 times more likely to have a preterm birth than women who did not drink any.

The authors note that although artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, acesulfame-K and saccharine are generally considered safe with respect to acute toxicity, the overall safety of regular consumption is still disputed.

In pregnant women, high consumption of saccharine-containing products is often discouraged because saccharine has been shown to aggregate on the fetal side of the placenta.

The lead author Thorhallur Ingi Halldorsson said: ‘Not enough studies have been conducted investigating potential adverse effects (or health benefits) of artificial sweeteners during pregnancy, and in other vulnerable groups like children.’

Reference

Halldorsson TI, Strøm M, Petersen SB, Olsen SF. (2010) Intake of artificially sweetened soft drinks and preterm delivery: a prospective cohort study of 59,334 Danish pregnant women. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition doi: 10.3945/ajcn.2009.28968