Study on caffeine for pregnant women

Coffee is a popular and favourite beverage of most people. We all enjoy our cup of coffee in the morning or in the middle of the day when we are feeling lethargic. It is an indispensable part of life, which is difficult to give up.

But if you are pregnant then you might want to give up on this habit for the benefit of the little life growing inside you, as per a new study.

Caffeine and pregnancy

High caffeine intake has never been considered good for health. Experts have always asserted that drinking more than 2 cups of coffee (250 ml) can make you irritable, sleepless, anxious and even cause diarrhoea. However, pregnant women should avoid even this much coffee for a healthy pregnancy. As per a new study, cutting down caffeine from the diet can help to avoid miscarriage, low birth weight and stillbirth.

As per the peer-reviewed study published in the journal BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine, there is no safe level for caffeine consumption during pregnancy.

The researchers analysed 37 observational studies to establish the relation between caffeine intake and its effect on pregnancy. In the end, they concluded that maternal caffeine consumption is probably associated with miscarriage, stillbirth, low birth weight, childhood acute leukaemia and childhood overweight and obesity. They advised that pregnant women should abstain from coffee and other caffeine-containing products. Caffeine is not only found in coffee but is also present in cola, chocolate and tea in low amounts.

Earlier, even the World Health Organisation (WHO) acknowledged studies that suggest excess intake of caffeine may be associated with restricted growth, reduced birth weight, preterm birth or stillbirth. It also recommended women consuming caffeine more than 300 mg per day to cut down the intake.

The caffeine content in daily food items

Caffeine is not only found in coffee, there are other food products too that contain caffeine. You need to be careful about this quantity as well.

1 mug of instant coffee: 100mg

1 mug of filter coffee: 140mg

1 mug of tea: 75mg

1 can of cola: 40mg

1 can of energy drink: Upto 80mg

1 bar chocolate (50g): 25mg

The bottom line

The study does point out the ill-effect of consuming caffeine in pregnancy, but it has not covered other aspects. It does not show any direct cause and effect link to different factors like smoking and diet. More research is needed in the direction to get a clearer picture of the issue. But if you are drinking a lot of caffeine, which is more than the recommended level then it is not bad to cut down.

from LifeStyle