Moderate daily caffeine intake in pregnancy and baby size at birth
The researchers found reductions in size and lean body mass for children whose mothers consumed less than 200 milligrams of caffeine per day, about two cups of coffee. Smaller birth sizes may put newborns at higher risk of obesity, heart disease and diabetes later in their lives.
Can you take caffeine while pregnant? Is it possible to drink coffee when pregnant?
According to a study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health , pregnant women who consume an amount of caffeine equivalent to half a cup of coffee each day have, on average, slightly smaller babies than pregnant women who do not consume caffeine-containing beverages. .
Caffeine in pregnancy, what does science say?
The researchers were led by Katherine L. Grantz of the Division of Intramural Population Health Research at NIH’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. The study was published in JAMA Network Open.
According to Katherine L. Grantz, the current findings suggest that it may be prudent to limit or give up caffeine-containing beverages in pregnancy , and she suggests women consult with their physician regarding caffeine consumption during pregnancy.
Previous studies have already linked high caffeine consumption (more than 200 milligrams of caffeine per day) during pregnancy to small-for-gestational-age infants or the risk of intrauterine growth retardation (or restriction) (Iugr).
However, studies of moderate daily caffeine consumption (200 milligrams or less) during pregnancy have yielded conflicting results.
Some found similar high risks for low birth weight and other poor birth outcomes, while others found no such links. The authors of the current study noted that many previous studies had failed to account for other factors that might influence the baby’s birth size. These factors include variation in the caffeine content of different beverages and maternal smoking during pregnancy.
For their study, the authors analyzed data on more than 2,000 enrolled women at 8 to 13 weeks of pregnancy. The women were non-smokers and had no health problems prior to pregnancy.
From the 10th to the 13th week of pregnancy, the women provided a blood sample. This sample was analyzed for caffeine and paraxanthin, a compound produced when caffeine is broken down in the body.
Women also reported their daily consumption of caffeine-containing beverages both pre-enrollment and periodically during pregnancy.
Caffeine in pregnancy, the results of the study
Compared with children born to women with no or minimal blood levels of caffeine, children born to women who had the highest blood levels of caffeine at enrollment were on average 84 grams lighter at birth, were 0. 44 centimeters and had head circumferences 0.28 centimeters smaller.
Based on estimates of the amount they drank, women who consumed about 50 milligrams of caffeine per day (equivalent to half a cup of coffee) had infants 66 grams lighter than babies born to women who didn’t drink caffeine. Similarly, children born to caffeine users also had thigh circumferences that were 0.32 centimeters smaller.
According to the researchers, caffeine causes blood vessels in the uterus and placenta to constrict , which could reduce blood supply to the fetus and inhibit growth. Similarly, researchers believe that caffeine has the potential to disrupt fetal stress hormones, putting babies at risk for rapid weight gain after birth and obesity, heart disease and diabetes in later life.
Kathryn Barlow is an OB/GYN doctor, which is the medical specialty that deals with the care of women's reproductive health, including pregnancy and childbirth.
Obstetricians provide care to women during pregnancy, labor, and delivery, while gynecologists focus on the health of the female reproductive system, including the ovaries, uterus, vagina, and breasts. OB/GYN doctors are trained to provide medical and surgical care for a wide range of conditions related to women's reproductive health.