Habitual consumption of junk food can lead to obesity problems. Health experts also blame the popularity of junk food to the rising incidence of diabetes, stroke and high blood pressure but if these do not deter you from consuming carbonated beverages, salted snacks and candies, you should at least consider reducing your intake of these unhealthy foods if you're trying to get pregnant as this could have a significant impact on the likelihood of your child to survive and have a healthy life.

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Adelaide in Australia has found that eating too much junk food prior to pregnancy can increase a woman's risks of giving pre-term birth. Giving birth before the baby is due could lead to infant death and premature babies who manage to survive have elevated risks for health problems that they may have to endure for a lifetime which include respiratory problems, hearing loss and intellectual disabilities.

For the study published in The Journal of Nutrition on April 30, 2014, researchers examined the eating habits of 309 women before pregnancy to find a link between their dietary intakes a year before they get pregnant and their odds for preterm delivery. They found that women whose diet was typically high in protein and include plenty of fruits and whole grains were less likely to have pre-term deliveries than women who often eat foods that are high in fat and sugar.

Women who tend to eat potato chips, cakes and other foods that are high in fat and sugar were in fact 50 percent more likely to have preterm birth than women who include protein-rich foods such as fish, chicken and lean meat as well as vegetables, whole grains and fruits in their diet.

"A dietary pattern containing several protein-rich food sources, fruit, and some whole grains is associated with reduced likelihood for preterm delivery, whereas a dietary pattern mainly consisting of discretionary items is associated with preterm delivery, shorter birth length, and earlier gestation," the researchers wrote.

The researchers suggest that changing poor dietary behaviors can help lessen women's risks of giving birth prematurely and this could ensure the long-term health of the baby. Study researcher Jessica Grieger, from the University of Adelaide's Robinson Research Institute, said that she and her colleagues hope that the study could help encourage women to observe good dietary behavior even before pregnancy.

"It is never too late to make a positive change. We hope our work will help promote a healthy diet before and during pregnancy. This will help to reduce the number of neonatal deaths and improve the overall health of children," Grieger said.