Should Pregnant Women Avoid Coffee? New Study Links Caffeine With Miscarriage Risk

Early miscarriage can happen if a pregnant woman consumes caffeine early in her pregnancy. But this isn't just for the women, it's also for their partners. As it turns out, couples who drink caffeinated beverages like coffee, energy drinks or soda, increase the risk of miscarriage by two times. Women who also drink more caffeine after giving birth also increase their risk of miscarriage in the future.

A new study from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which was published in the journal Fertility and Sterility, involved more than 300 pregnant couples as participants. The researchers looked at the couples' use of cigarettes, intake of caffeine, alcoholic beverages and multivitamins. Miscarriage was determined based on menstruation, from clinical doctors and negative pregnancy tests.

The researchers found that 28 percent of couples in the sample group experienced a miscarriage. Women older than 35 were doubly likely to experience stillbirth as compared to women younger than 35.

However, women who took multivitamins decreased their miscarriage risk by 55 percent. According to Live Science, the reduced risk may be due to multivitamins that contain folate and vitamin B6, which helps reduce the risk of miscarriage.

According to the authors, their findings did not indicate a clear connection between miscarriage and drinking caffeine. However, the authors did note that drinking decaf or coffee without caffeine is safer for pregnant women. Additionally, caffeine intake is not only limited to pregnant women. Their partners should also be mindful their own consumption to offset the risk of miscarriage.

"Our findings also indicate that the male partner matters, too," study co-author Dr. Buck Louis said in a press release. "Male preconception consumption of caffeinated beverages was just as strongly associated with pregnancy loss as females'."

For women planning to get pregnant and avoid early miscarriage, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends avoiding alcohol and tobacco. Women should talk to their health providers in order to take the right amount of folic acid and specially formulated prenatal vitamins.

What do you think of the new study? Can avoiding caffeine reduce the risk of miscarriage? Tell us your thoughts in the comments section below.