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Any of you heard of research that concretely links eating sugar/candy in pregnancy to kids with ADHD????

lastchance's picture

My MIL has been driving me crazy. Every time she sees me eating something sugary, or drinking a pop (neither of which I do very often anymore...they just don't sound good very often) she goes on and on about how bad the sugar is for the baby. About how, if I'm really worried that the baby is going to have ADHD like it's dad, that I have to stop eating sugar/candy and avoid everything with high fructose corn syrup. That the sugar/candy I'm eating are somehow going to magically give my kid ADHD.

Now, I know giving candy TO a kid with ADHD is just asking for trouble(as if giving candy to ANY kid is not asking for trouble). I also am pretty sure that ADHD tends to be hereditary, so I'm thinking if my kid is going to have it, it's going to have it.

But, have any of you heard of or know of research that does concretely link sugar/candy eaten during pregnancy to kids with ADHD? I've googled, but nothing worthwhile has really come up.

I would REALLY appreciate it if any of you could provide me with links/literature one way or another. I don't care if I'm wrong (well, I would rather be right and keep eating my candy, but if I'm wrong then I'm wrong Blum 3 )

I just want to eat my damn candy in piece! Argh!

PS...I've already decided that if I can't get her to stop, I'm going to make good on my threats to feed the baby pixie sticks before sending it to grandma's for the day/weekend. Muh ah ah ah ahhhh ;-P

Comments

lastchance's picture

This is definitely helpful! Thank you! Pretty sure MIL smoked while she was pregnant with DH, bet she doesn't know the potential link between smoking while pregnant and DH having ADHD.

Tx mommy of 3's picture

Ha ha! Pixie sticks! No I haven't seen any studies on it. I would ask her where she got her info. Tell her you want to 'check it out for the baby's sake' and if it is true then you'll quit your candy eating. If she can't produce her research then you don't have to quit eating your sweets. I don't think her info is accurate so no worries there. If you are concerned, you can always switch to sugarfree! Or ateast tell her you're eating sugarfree candy even if you aren't! Ha! As for sodas, I saw in the news a while back that new studies showed that low-average amounts of caffeine on a regular basis during pregnancy did not affect the baby (Add/ADHD/hyperactive, etc). So my advice is continue enjoying your treats!

lastchance's picture

Pixie sticks are awesome. We bought a huge (like 2lb package) of them once that we were going to mail to SD as part of her birthday present. Not that SD loves them or anything, but we were hoping for a hyper explosion by SD that would drive BM up the wall. Alas, the damn cat ate a whole through the bag right before we needed to send them, so no evilness got sent that time.

caregiver1127's picture

My OB was the head of OB/GYN at the hospital where I gave birth - I LOVE LOVE LOVE him - he told me all things in moderation - once I was having lightheadness and went to see his partner who told me that sugar was the devil - I called my OB really worried and he told me not to worry as long as it was in moderation. My daughter is going to be 5 in October - I ate sugar throughout my pregnancy and she is fine - I did look up on the internet and it seems that alcohol, drugs and smoking are the main reasons could find nothing for sugar!!

This is from WebMD -

No one is sure that ADHD can be prevented. There are, though, ways to help all children perform their best at home and at school.

Can good prenatal care help in preventing ADHD?
Poor prenatal care is associated with ADHD. So if you are expecting, you can increase the chance of your child not having ADHD by staying healthy throughout your pregnancy. A healthy diet and regular doctor visits are important. So is avoiding the use of alcohol and drugs.

Children whose mothers smoked while they were pregnant have twice the risk of developing ADHD. Some studies suggest a pregnant woman's exposure to lead as well as that of a young child may be linked to ADHD. Other studies are exploring the possible connection between premature birth and ADHD. What all these studies have in common is an emphasis on good prenatal care.

There is no scientific proof of a link between ADHD and sugar intake.

Heredity - ASK your MIL if there is any ADHD in her family - lol

Attention deficit disorder is potentially hereditary. Although the role of genetics in the development of ADHD is currently unknown, scientists do believe there is a connection. Research has shown that 25% of people with ADHD are related to someone else who has the condition. Only around 5% of the whole population is affected by the disorder, making multiple instances in close families very strong evidence for a genetic role.

caregiver1127's picture

Anytime - we DIL's have to stick together. I also think people go so overboard when they get pregnant. I remember when I was young mothers would smoke - there were no car seats - we would just sit on our mother's laps - there was not 10 ultrasounds and look we all came out fine - lol

Enjoy your pregnancy and eat that sugar but remember moderation - lol