IN BRIEF (Page 19)

Fast foods tend to boost fetal growth

Pregnant women who consume trans fats from snack foods, fast food and other less-than-ideal fare may give birth to bigger babies, according to a US study.

The study, reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, centered on nearly 1,400 pregnant women. It found that the higher the woman's intake of trans fats - which raise "bad" LDL cholesterol, but also lower heart-healthy HDL cholesterol - during the second trimester of pregnancy, the larger her newborn was.