Suffering a miscarriage is devastating for expecting parents, but certain foods have been proven to lower chances of the tragedy.
A study analysis conducted at the University of Birmingham has uncovered evidence that a healthy diet rich in fruit, vegetables, seafood, dairy products, eggs and whole grains can reduce the risk of pregnancy loss, reports the Mirror.
Published last month in journal Fertility and Sterility, researchers also found that high consumption of junk food can double a person's miscarriage risk.
Miscarriage charity Tommy's funded the study, which analysed 20 projects that discussed links between birth and eating habits months before and after conceiving a baby.
According to the charity, an estimated one in six UK pregnancies ends in miscarriage, while one in 100 experience them recurrently - three or more times.
While pregnancy loss can be attributed to genetics and other health factors, experts say the cause of nearly half of miscarriages "remain unexplained".
The review found that when compared to low consumption, high eating of fruit alone could reduce the chances of miscarriage by 61 per cent. Meanwhile, high vegetable intake could be linked to a 41 percent cut.
For dairy products it’s a 37 percent reduction, 33 percent for grains, and 19 percent for seafood and eggs. In contrast, a diet high in "ultra-processed food", such as certain bread, cake, sausages and ready meals, doubled the risk of miscarriage.
Data was collected from a period before and during the first three months of pregnancy on nearly 64,000 healthy women.
Dr Yealin Chung, specialist trainee in obstetrics and gynaecology at Birmingham University, said: "Miscarriage is common, with estimates suggesting one in six pregnancies end in miscarriage, and there are many known causes, from problems with a baby’s chromosomes to infections in the womb.
"Yet nearly 50 percent of early pregnancy losses remain unexplained and in the absence of a cause, parents often turn to their healthcare providers for guidance on the best ways to be as healthy as possible and to reduce the risk of future miscarriages."
Evidence is accruing that lifestyle changes, including changes to your diet, stopping smoking and not drinking alcohol, before conceiving and in the first vulnerable weeks of pregnancy, lower the risk of miscarriage.
Tommy's midwife Juliette Ward said: "Advice on diet is one of the most-discussed subjects for us when talking with pregnant women and birthing people. We know that baby loss is very rarely the result of someone’s lifestyle choices, but many people want to know how to be as healthy as possible in pregnancy.
"Following a healthy diet, taking supplements such as vitamin D and folic acid, exercise and trying to lower stress are all things people can try to do. But there’s been a lack of clear evidence on the links between diet choices and miscarriage."
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