Yesterday, we heard about a study which showed that exercise during pregnancy was good for the fetal cardiovascular system.  Today, we hear evidence that preeclampsia causes damage to the fetal heart.  A study which was presented today at the Society for Endocrinology meeting, found that when preeclampsia reduces the amount of oxygen a fetus receives through the placenta, the result is an enlarged heart and thickening of the walls of the heart and aorta.

Researchers also suggest that these babies of preeclamptic mothers are more likely to suffer from heart disease later in life, and may benefit from their mother’s taking antioxidants during their pregnancy.

I haven’t been able to track down any data or papers related to this study, but I found the news story intriguing, and thought all of you might too.  I’ll be sure to post an update if I find more information on this topic.  For any of you who delivered early because of preeclampsia, have any of your children been diagnosed with any cardiac problems?

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