Cholesterol is necessary to a developing fetus. Cholesterol levels tend to naturally rise during pregnancy and fall during the postpartum period. During this time, physicians do not usually screen pregnant women for high cholesterol levels, so it is important to maintain a healthful diet full of fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Because cholesterol levels return to pre-pregnancy baselines about six weeks after pregnancy, it is suggested that you wait until this time to have your levels checked.
Function
Cholesterol could be considered an essential nutrient to human health. According to "The New York Times," "cholesterol helps the body produce hormones, bile acid and vitamin D." Progesterone, a hormone needed to maintain a pregnancy, is created with the assistance of cholesterol. Developmental biologist Laura Woolett believes that "cholesterol is required for fetal development."
Theories/Speculation
"The American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology" notes that cholesterol levels rise in the second trimester of pregnancy and peak during the third trimester. The rise occurs naturally to adapt to the needs of the growing fetus and gradually returns to a normal range after the pregnancy ends, therefore women should not be concerned about-long term effects of this temporary rise. Dr. Gerard M. DiLeo, author of "The Anxious Parents Guide to Pregnancy," speculates cholesterol is increased during pregnancy because of "the effect of elevated levels of estrogen and progesterone on your liver. They'll go back down after delivery, and they'll go back down even faster with breastfeeding, which inhibits estrogen."
Misconceptions
Low cholesterol might be as much of a problem as high cholesterol to a pregnant woman. The National Institutes of Health reports, "pregnant women who have very low cholesterol may face a greater risk of delivering their babies prematurely than women with more moderate cholesterol levels." It was also noted that women with low cholesterol levels tend to have babies with smaller head size.
Recommendations
Maternal cholesterol appears to be able to cross the barrier of the placenta based on research published in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition." Keeping yourself in peak nutritional health is important in preventing health complications in your own body and in the baby that you carry. Consuming added fiber by increasing fruits and vegetables as well as whole grains can naturally promote healthy cholesterol levels.
Warnings
Common cholesterol lowering medications known as statins should not be used during pregnancy. Johns Hopkins Hospital notes that the Food and Drug Administration has classified these cholesterol-lowering drugs as a category X. Category X medications are known to cause birth defects in the developing fetus. Statins interfere with the production of cholesterol, essential to the developing fetus.
References
- "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition": Maternal cholesterol in fetal development: transport of cholesterol from the maternal to the fetal circulation
- "American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology"; Maternal lipid profile in subsequent pregnancies; D.MANKUTA; Volume 197, Issue 6
- National Institutes of Health: Low Maternal Cholesterol Tied to Premature Birth
- Johns Hopkins Medicine: Cholesterol Medications (Statins)
- Lab Tests Online: Cholesterol
