Food stamps and food banks can be key to healthy pregnancies.
Food assistance programs are effective in helping hungry women avoid pregnancy complications, researchers say in a new study published Jan. 23 in JAMA Network Open.
Food insecurity in pregnancy is associated with a higher risk of gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, preterm birth and newborn admission to a neonatal intensive care unit.
However, risk of those complications disappears if women receive food assistance through state or federal welfare programs or local food banks, according to the findings.