Keto In The Womb: What It Means For Baby

Maternal nutrition is incredibly important during pregnancy, for both the mother’s health and the child’s. With the prevalence of the ketogenic diet, especially among those of child-bearing age, researchers have become inquisitive about the possible effects of the ketogenic diet on gestation.

Does the Fetus Prefer Ketones?

It is first important to understand that ketosis is a natural metabolic state in which the body burns fat when it does not have enough of its primary fuel source, glucose. This occurs naturally in the human body – whether it be through purposeful fasting or not having any food for a number of hours.

There is evidence to suggest that the prenatal infant prefers and thrives off ketones. First of all, the fetal brain derives about 30% of its energy from ketones.¹  The fetus uses ketones in order to create important lipids for the brain. This is probably why ketosis is most common in the third trimester.² 

In fact, it’s likely that the fetus makes its own ketones. There are significantly higher ketone levels in the umbilical cord blood compared to that in the mother’s blood. This tells us that ketones are more useful to the fetus than the mother.³  Before and immediately after birth, the fetus utilizes ketones to make essential fats in the brain during growth.⁴

Mice, Keto, and Organ Growth

We would be remiss if we didn’t mention the landmark controversial 2013 study where researchers studied mice whose mothers were fed a ketogenic diet while pregnant. The researchers compared images of mice embryos to a control group of mice whose mothers were fed a standard diet. They found that the ketogenic mice embryos ended up being smaller, yet having an enlarged cervical spine, midbrain, and thalamus, the gray matter in the brain responsible for pain reception and sensory information.⁵

In this study, they found that the growth of the brain of the ketogenic infant shifted toward late pregnancy, compared with the brain’s growth rate during standard diets. Does this mean that human fetus whose mothers are on the ketogenic diet will see altered brain growth? Does this suggest that these infants could see an increased risk of organ dysfunction and behavioral changes after birth?

So far, there is no evidence that the ketogenic diet has the same negative effects on human children that it does on mice embryos. In fact, some doctors report that expectant mothers experience much smoother pregnancies upon following the ketogenic diet and that it’s all about nutritional balance and good choices.

Balance is key

If you take a look at the foods that make up the ketogenic diet, you will find eggs, avocado, fresh vegetables, animal protein, olive oil, berries, and nuts and seeds. These are all fantastic foods for pregnancy.

It’s important to remember balance. What’s best for the mother is typically what’s best for baby. Women who are interested in following a ketogenic diet during pregnancy should first speak to their doctor, begin the diet a couple of months before conception, and to remember to get enough calories and nutrition during this important time.

Dr. Rosmy Barrios, MD

This article has been medically reviewed by Dr. Rosmy Barrios, MD.

Dr. Rosmy Barrios, MD is an aesthetic medicine specialist whose work focuses on patients who are treated for obesity, metabolic syndrome, and other weight-related issues through nutritional analysis, keto diet programs, and supporting medications.

• Author
• Recent Posts

Rebecca McCusker

Rebecca has been freelance writing since she was eighteen years old, and she is especially passionate about health and wellness topics. She lives in the Ohio countryside with her husband and two Australian Shepherds, and when she's not writing, she's playing piano and guitar in her folk-rock band, Linden Hollow.

Latest posts by Rebecca McCusker (see all)

• A Ketogenic Pregnancy: Is It Safe? - June 20, 2018
• Perfect Keto Nut Butter is, Well, Perfect for Keto - May 14, 2018
• The Silicon Valley’s Favorite Diet? Brain-Boosting Keto - May 11, 2018