Expectant mothers who are considered ‘food insecure’ are up to four times more likely to experience stress, anxiety, and depression than those who don’t struggle to afford or access food.
Led by researchers from Newcastle University and in collaboration with Teesside University and King’s College London, this new study delves into the causes of food insecurity, and how it can affect pregnant women and new mothers. Read on to find out more.
Contents:
- What is food insecurity?
- How food insecurity affects expectant mothers
- Study reveals 'shocking' results
- Maternal health outcomes
What is food insecurity?
The British Red Cross defines food insecurity as ‘when a person is without reliable access to enough affordable, nutritious, healthy food’. Poverty, unemployment, and low income are key drivers of food insecurity in both low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and high-income countries (HICs). These drivers have been exacerbated by a global recession, social and health inequalities, war, and high inflation in recent years.
Before COVID-19, fewer than one in 10 households in the UK were experiencing food insecurity. However, after the onset of the pandemic, food insecurity in the UK has more than doubled. It is estimated that more than one in four households with babies and young children under four years old are food insecure, and almost half of all households with three or more children.
Since 2021, HICs have been enduring a cost-of-living crisis. As a direct consequence of this crisis, the costs of food and energy prices increased, pushing households that were already experiencing financial hardship further into poverty.
Women are more likely to be household food managers, and tend to be more aware of the cost of healthy food.
How food insecurity affects expectant mothers
Pregnant and breastfeeding women have more complex nutritional needs, and poor nutrition during pregnancy can result in poorer maternal and infant health outcomes. The first 1,001 days of life – from conception until a child is 2 years of age – is also critical for a child’s development, particularly during pregnancy.
Pregnancy is a life course stage for additional nutritional demand and financial pressures, making women vulnerable to food insecurity.
Women are also more likely to work lower-paid, part-time jobs while maintaining caring responsibility of children and elderly, and/or heading a single-parent household. Research shows that women tend to be more aware of the cost of healthy food as household food managers, and will often allocate food in a way that disadvantages them: foregoing their own nutrition to make sure others in their household are fed. Changes to food behaviours such as restricting eating patterns, reducing portion size, skipping meals, reducing consumption of fruit and vegetables, increasing red processed meats, and lower intakes of vitamin E can have devastating effects on pregnant women and their babies.
Another risk factor for mothers is the possibility of developing gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). GDM is a type of diabetes that occurs during pregnancy when the hormone produced by the placenta prevents the body from using insulin. According to the NHS, GDM can cause problems such as:
- a baby growing larger than usual
- excess amniotic fluid (polyhydramnios)
- premature birth
- pre-eclampsia
- jaundice
- stillbirth
Women who develop GDM during pregnancy are at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes in the future, and children born to women with GDM are more likely to develop obesity or Type 2 diabetes later in life.
Study reveals 'shocking' results
Our scientists examined data from high-income countries since the global financial crisis in 2008, and used random effect meta-analysis and narrative synthesis to study associations between food insecurity in pregnancy and maternal and infant health in HICs. In collaboration with Teesside University and King’s College London, the experts collated the data to look for patterns and where there may be increased risk and need for support.
‘We know how important it is for pregnant women to eat a nutritious and well-balanced diet for their own health and that of their developing baby,’ says Nicola Heslehurst, Professor of Maternal and Child Nutrition at Newcastle University. ‘But when pregnant women experience food insecurity, it affects the quality of their diet because they can’t afford increasingly expensive items such as fruit and vegetables, therefore, have to rely on cheaper poor nutritional quality foods.
‘While we were expecting to see some health risks during pregnancy, the extent of those we found were quite shocking, especially for mental health, obesity, and pregnancy diabetes. These also have long-term implications, such as mums and their children being more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes later in life.
‘Our studies provide new evidence of the inequalities in pregnancy risks for women and babies when there is not access to affordable, nutritious, healthy food, and the need for more support to help reduce the impact of food insecurity.’
A pregnant woman with gestational diabetes takes a blood test with her finger.
Maternal health outcomes
Food insecurity may be a contributing factor to maternal health and well-being outcomes, particularly relating to GDM and mental health. However, the evidence base was primarily from the USA and Canada rather than the UK. Further research is needed to inform policy and care in the UK and address inequalities in maternal and child health.
The scientists who worked on this study have urged the government to act on this information.
‘We need much more financial support from the Government to make sure that women and babies are protected from food insecurity during pregnancy,’ says Prof Heslehurst.
‘If we look at more data from the UK, where there is a lack of support available and rapidly rising rates of food insecurity, we might find the risks are worse than we currently think, and the need for support even greater.’
You might also like:
- read the studies:
- Nguyen G, Bell Z, Andreae G, et al. Food insecurity during pregnancy in high-income countries, and maternal weight and diet: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Obesity Reviews. 2024; 25(7):e13753. doi:10.1111/obr.13753
- Associations between food insecurity in high-income countries and pregnancy outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Zoe Bell et al. PLOS Medicine.
- check out this related blog: Food insecurity in pregnancy is putting women’s health at risk and babies at a health disadvantage. That is unfair and unjust.
- discover more about Nicola Heslehurst, Professor of Maternal and Child Nutrition
- explore our Ageing and Health research
