London: It is a sweet revelation for every mother-to-be.
Pregnant women have the perfect excuse to give in to their cravings — because chocolate is good for both mother and baby.
Expectant mums who regularly snack on chocolate bars are less likely to develop pre-eclampsia, according to a study.
One of the most common causes of premature birth in the UK, pre-eclampsia affects 70,000 British women a year and claims the lives of up to 1,000 babies and ten mothers.
It is characterised by high blood pressure and can cause convulsions, blood clots, liver damage and kidney failure.
But after asking 2,500 women about their dietary habits during pregnancy, researchers from Yale University in the US found that those who consumed higher rates of chocolatey snacks — including hot chocolate drinks, were less likely to develop the potentially fatal complication, the journal Annals of Epidemiology reports.
It is thought that theobromine, the bitter-tasting chemical in cocoa, keeps blood pressure steady by helping blood vessels to dilate.
The researchers said: "Women who reported regular chocolate consumption of more than three servings a week had a 50 per cent or greater reduced risk of pre-eclampsia."
