Caffeine Consumption During Pregnancy Could Put Baby at Risk for Low Birth Weight
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The latest research suggests that drinking caffeinated drinks during pregnancy will raise your risk of giving birth to baby with a lower birth weight.
Though caffeine has been linked to having adverse effects on pregnant women, a limit has been set on what pregnant would should consume, if they can’t do without a caffeine kick. But, there have been a fair share of conflicting reports from differing health organization as to what pregnant women can safely consume. The World Health Organization recommended a limit of 300 milligrams of caffeine a day (which is about three 8-oz. cups of regularly brewed coffee), while the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommended 200 milligrams per day in 2010. The 200 milligram limit, they stated, would not increase the risk of miscarriage or preterm birth.
But this latest study, which was published in the BMC Medicine journal, found that a child lost between three-quarters of an ounce to a full ounce in birth weight for every 100 milligrams of average daily caffeine intake from all sources by the mother. Researchers collected data on nearly 60,000 pregnancies over a 10-year period. And while they did find an association between caffeine and low birth weight, a correlation with caffeine consumption and the risk of preterm birth could not be found.
The study author, Dr. Verena Sengpiel of the Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Sweden, said that the findings were not definitive because the study was observational — so that correlation (in this case) does not equal cause. What Sengpiel is able to suggest, though, is that women should put their caffeine consumption “on pause” while pregnant, or at least stay below two cups of coffee per day.
Did you drink caffeine during your pregnancy?
Plus, more from The Bump:
Will Caffeine During Pregnancy Harm Baby?
Could Caffeine Put My Fertility at Risk?
What to Avoid During Pregnancy (and How Not to Miss It Too Much)
The Knot Blog
The Nest Blog
I had caffeine while pregnant with my last child ( I cut back from normal consumption) and he was almost exactly 10lbs. My daughter whom I also cut back but still had caffeine while pregnant with her was almost exactly 9lbs.
I consumed caffeine when pregnant with my daughter she weighed 7 lbs even. But I contribute her acid reflux to my caffeine consumption. This pregnancy I have pretty much cut out all caffeine.
This study has several big flaws, including putting chocolate as having caffeine (note, chocolate has theobromine which is not caffeine, and the only chocolate that has caffeine has it added. Observational “your baby is small, did you drink this when pregnant, how much” is SO flawed since so many people can’t estimate how many mL they drink a day (especially Americans are metric illiterate.) Plus, it doesn’t take into account things like family history (if mom and dad are smaller and the family has a history of small babies, then their baby may fall into the ‘small’ category while still being a normal size.)
I don’t think you should drink coffee and caffeinated sodas when pregnant, and if so you should drink small amounts. But this study adds to the confusion, not the conclusion.
I very rarely consumed ANY caffeine during my first pregnancy and have been going a little overboard with coffee (I don’t like sodas) this time around because I live such a busy lifestyle nowadays. My daughter (first pregnancy) was born at 38 and a half weeks gestation and only weighed 5lbs, 11.9oz. I am currently 35 and a half weeks pregnant with our second and he is already estimated at 7lbs. So I think this whole study just ended up being coincidental.
I drank 1 cup of coffee a day each day that I was pregnant. My water broke 2 weeks early, I delivered a 7lb 6oz baby. So no, I don’t agree with the study
i drank one to two cups of coffee every day when i was pregnant with my son. he was 9lbs 4oz and 22in long at birth
i think it is safe to say that SOME caffeine is, well, safe!
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The key here of course is moderation. One to two cups of coffee per day is likely safe. However that said, it is generally best to err on the side of caution when there is any question as to safety during pregnancy.
I have decreased my coffee consumption to 1/2-1 cup about every other day. I am 30 weeks and my baby is measuring 2 weeks ahead and approx. 4 lbs. already so I don’t think he’s on track to have low birth weight if I go to term! Maybe this applys to mothers who are drinking 4-5 cups a day or something.
I thought we were not to have any caffine, so I haven’t had 1 drop!!! Now I could kick myself because I need coffee so bad, I can;t stay awake. But I’ve gone this long and I’m almost there so might as well keep it up?
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