Pregnant mothers who don't drink milk during pregnancy are risking their baby's growth.
Figure-conscious women cut down on milk in order to ensure that their weight is alright. However, researchers have discovered that newborn babies of women who had less than a cup of milk per day are more likely to have tinier babies.
More and more women restrict milk consumption believing that it will lower fat intake, alleviate self diagnosed lactose intolerance or prevent allergies developing in their children.
Scientists warn that this actually restricts essential nutrients and can affect foetal development. Milk, a great source of vitamin D, is critical for the growth of the skeleton growth and producing strong bones.
The Canadian study was of 300 healthy educated women 19-45. 72 of them had been drinking less than a cup of milk per day whilst pregnant.
Every cup of milk daily added about 41g of weight to the baby.
The Food Standards Agency tells pregnant women to have loads of dairy foods, except cheeses, to make sure that their babies get enough calcium to develop healthy bones.
