Moms Who Eat Fiber-Rich Diets, Article Critique Example

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the incidence of asthma could be reduced by encouraging mothers to consume foods that are rich in fiber. This randomized trial study design utilized mice as test subjects and tested two theories; whether high-fiber could prevent asthma-like symptoms among the sample and whether a pregnant mother consuming a high-fiber diet could prevent these symptoms from manifesting in her offspring. As a consequence, this study pertains to mainly pregnant mothers because it demonstrates that their feeding habits are important in preventing against asthma and other illnesses. Since this is a non-invasive study, it is possible that this concept will be evaluated in a human clinical trial using a longitudinal study design.

Although this trial was laboratory based, this relationship was examined over a period of several months. Data collection primarily involved the search for asthma related symptoms compared to the type of fiber intense diet consumed. All mice were randomized to either the control or experimental group in order to draw a clearer understanding of this impact. Overall, it is apparent that this study was first conducted on mice to determine whether there would be any ethical concerns for a similar study using human subjects. In this type of trial, disease would not be subjected intentionally, making it likely that researchers would recruit mother’s based on their existing understanding of disease status.

This study has important implications because it demonstrates that there is a relationship between fetal development and asthma. The health of the mother, as indicated by fiber intake, has the potential to alter this development. It is therefore important for pregnant mothers to follow recommended diets to ensure that the health of their child will not be compromised.

References

Mead, M. (2015). Study: Moms who eat fiber-rich diets are less likely to have kids with asthma. Quartz. Retrieved from http://qz.com/434250/study-moms-who-eat-fiber-rich-diets-less-likely-to-have-kids-with-asthma/