Scientists from the University of Barcelona tracked 1,221 pregnant women who were considered at risk of having ‘small’ for gestational age babies,(SGA) i.e. meaning that they weigh less than 90 per cent of other babies, with a higher risk of poor brain development.
Mothers to be were split into different groups with one group having to follow a Mediterranean diet, eating foods such as walnuts and olive oil. The other group received standard pregnancy support.
Only 14 percent of newborns in the SGA group were classed as SGA compared with 21.9 percent in the standard group according to the results published in the journal JAMA.