Eat chocolate, pregnant women urged

Why eating chocolate could save your baby's life

Eating a daily bar of chocolate could save your baby's life, scientists from Yale University in America claim.

In a study of 2,291 pregnant women, it was discovered that chocolate lowers women's risk of preeclampsia during pregnancy, a condition which kills around 1,000 babies every year in the UK alone.

Women who eat chocolate at least five times a week are up to 40% less likely to develop preeclampsia than those who ate it less than once a week.

The actual cause of preeclampsia is still not known, but when it does occur blood vessels in the placenta do not develop properly, driving up a woman's blood pressure and reducing the transfer of oxygen and nutrients to the baby.

The babies of women who suffer from the condition are often born prematurely and may die.

Currently, the only prescription is bed rest and drugs to lower the mother's blood pressure. However, while this gives the baby a chance to grow strong enough to survive birth it is by no means a cure.