Soya milk is rich in lean plant protein. As proteins are considered the building blocks of the body, it can prove to be very useful for the developing fetus. Besides, it can also serve as a source of nourishment for the mother. As the fetus derives its nourishment from its mothers diet, it can also benefit from soy milk. Earlier soya milk was linked to breast cancer in mothers. However, a study has not only proved the correlation wrong, but has also established the fact that soy milk actually reduces the risk of cancer. However, as the study was conducted on only a few subjects, its findings are questionable. Nonetheless, there is also no evidence to suggest that soya milk affects the mother's health negatively.
The most serious argument regarding soya milk dangers during pregnancy is that it affects the male fetuses. Isoflavone in soya milk is a phytoestrogen, meaning it mimics the role of estrogen in the body. This isoflavone can adversely affect the size of male fetus's genitalia. The effect of phtyoestrogen on a baby's penis size is inversely proportional to the soya milk consumed by the mother. Again, there is no solid evidence to back this argument. There is no way of knowing, if phytoestrogen can actually enter the placenta and cause undesirable effects in the baby's body.
In short, there is no clinical evidence that can support either of the arguments. While it is known that many women drink soya milk without experiencing any undesirable effects, there are still no known cases that suggest negative implications of soy milk. In that regard, the answer to the question 'is soya milk safe during pregnancy' is yes. However, you may still want to take some caution and limit your intake of soy milk. This will enable you to derive nourishment from it, without exposing your baby to any unknown hazard of soya milk.
Women with known allergy to soya milk should look for other alternatives during pregnancy, so as not to trigger the allergic response. If you intend to give up soy milk and resort to cow's milk, then make sure you are drinking only pasteurized milk. Unpasteurized milk can induce several health risks for mother as well as baby.
The most serious argument regarding soya milk dangers during pregnancy is that it affects the male fetuses. Isoflavone in soya milk is a phytoestrogen, meaning it mimics the role of estrogen in the body. This isoflavone can adversely affect the size of male fetus's genitalia. The effect of phtyoestrogen on a baby's penis size is inversely proportional to the soya milk consumed by the mother. Again, there is no solid evidence to back this argument. There is no way of knowing, if phytoestrogen can actually enter the placenta and cause undesirable effects in the baby's body.
In short, there is no clinical evidence that can support either of the arguments. While it is known that many women drink soya milk without experiencing any undesirable effects, there are still no known cases that suggest negative implications of soy milk. In that regard, the answer to the question 'is soya milk safe during pregnancy' is yes. However, you may still want to take some caution and limit your intake of soy milk. This will enable you to derive nourishment from it, without exposing your baby to any unknown hazard of soya milk.
Women with known allergy to soya milk should look for other alternatives during pregnancy, so as not to trigger the allergic response. If you intend to give up soy milk and resort to cow's milk, then make sure you are drinking only pasteurized milk. Unpasteurized milk can induce several health risks for mother as well as baby.
