http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main...23/ixhome.html

Below is the Medline abstract:
NOTE: there was no elevated risk for glucose (blood sugar) and fructose
(fruit sugar), just for sucrose (table sugar) and high GI starchy meals.

Am J Clin Nutr. 2003 Nov;78(5):972-8.

Neural tube defects associated with maternal periconceptional dietary intake
of simple sugars and glycemic index.

Shaw GM, Quach T, Nelson V, Carmichael SL, Schaffer DM, Selvin S, Yang W.

March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation, California Birth Defects Monitoring
Program, Berkeley, CA 94710, USA.

BACKGROUND: Maternal diabetes, prepregnancy obesity, hyperinsulinemia, and
intakes of sweets have been associated with increased risks of neural tube
defects (NTDs). The interdependence of these factors suggests a common
pathogenesis via altered glycemic control and insulin demand.
OBJECTIVE: We investigated whether maternal periconceptional dietary
intakes of sucrose, glucose, fructose, and foods with higher glycemic index
values influence the risk of having NTD-affected pregnancies.
DESIGN: In a population-based case-control study, all hospitals in 55 of
the 58 counties in California participated. In-person interviews were
conducted with the mothers of 454 NTD cases (including fetuses and infants
who were electively terminated, stillborn, or born alive) and with the
mothers of 462 nonmalformed controls within an average of 5 mo from the term
delivery date. The risk of having an NTD-affected pregnancy was the main
outcome measure.
RESULTS: Risks of having an NTD-affected pregnancy were not substantially
elevated in relation to periconceptional intakes of glucose or fructose.
Elevated risks of approximately 2-fold were observed for higher intakes of
sucrose and foods with higher glycemic index values. Elevated risks were
observed for high sucrose intake irrespective of whether adjustment was made
for other covariates such as maternal folic acid intake. For higher glycemic
index values, adjusted elevated risks of > or = 4-fold were observed in
women whose body mass index (in kg/m(2)) was > 29.
CONCLUSION: Our observed associations support observations that potential
problems in glucose control are associated with NTD risk even among
nondiabetic women.

PMID: 14594784