There was no control group of women who didn’t eat chocolate.It’s also important to note that these women were eating this chocolate during the late first trimester to the end of the second trimester. Let’s take a look.Chocolate – particularly dark chocolate – contains flavonoids, a naturally occurring compound that is part of the This recent study of chocolate and pregnant women tried to determine whether flavonoids might have an effect on women’s blood pressure or fetal growth. Chocolate during pregnancy has awesome health benefits,” and “Daily chocolate during pregnancy helps mom and baby.”About the same time this study was being presented, my pediatric cardiology colleagues and I were treating a patient in her third trimester whose baby we suspected had prenatal constriction of the fetal ductus arteriosus, in which a blood vessel that connects the right side of the heart to the aorta in a fetus begins to close prematurely.In looking at a possible cause, we made sure the patient wasn’t taking any medications that could trigger this. I was taken a little aback when I read these headlines in February 2016: “Pregnant women rejoice! Your Pregnancy Matters Watch out for potential negative effects such as caffeine intake and how it can affect your developing baby.Dark chocolate is a source of antioxidants, which neutralize free acids in your body that can cause cell death. In fact, there's some evidence that eating chocolate during pregnancy could lower your risk of preeclampsia. Consuming dark chocolate during pregnancy can help prevent preeclampsia, a condition that causes your blood pressure to increase rapidly and can lead to early delivery as well as other severe health issues that can sometimes be fatal. Your nutritional needs change during pregnancy, and some foods become unsafe to consume. According to BabyCenter, you should avoid simple carbohydrates like dark chocolate if you have gestational diabetes, a pregnancy complication.Eating large amounts of dark chocolate or any other sweets can reduce the amount of room you have in your body for healthy foods. COVID-19 Update: Information and resources can be found