Washington: New findings suggests that pregnant women carrying male embryos need more food as they may have higher energy requirements than those carrying female embryos.

The findings also support the fact that male embryos may be more susceptible to a low energy intake, say the authors. They further add that women carrying boys have a 10 per cent higher energy intake than those carrying girls.

For the study, published in 'British Medical Journal', the researchers analysed the dietary intake of 244 pregnant women attending a large hospital in Boston.

It was found that women who were carrying a male embryo had an eight per cent higher intake of protein, a nine per cent higher intake of carbohydrates, an 11 per cent higher intake of animal fats, and a 15 per cent higher intake of vegetable fats than women who were carrying a female embryo.

The researchers suggest that the signal from the foetus responsible for the higher energy intake of women carrying a boy could be related to the strongly anabolic testosterone secreted by the foetal testicles, but other alternatives deserve scientific investigation.

ANI