Poor diet in pregnancy may be a proxy for some other hostile influence on fetal growth

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EDITOR,—Studies that have emphasised links between poor fetal growth and later cardiovascular disease have hypothesised (with little strong evidence in developed countries) that suboptimum nutrition in pregnancy might be responsible.1 K Godfrey and colleagues in Southampton now provide evidence that diet in pregnancy, particularly a high carbohydrate intake early on and a low protein intake later, does affect placental and fetal growth.2 These findings are especially interesting when seen alongside the studies by Crawford et al of women in Hackney.3 Mothers of babies …