Half Cup of Coffee Every Day During Pregnancy Can Affect Baby's Size, Study Says

According to a recent study, a half cup of coffee daily during pregnancy may affect a baby's size. The study was conducted by the Division of Intramural Population Health Research at NIH's Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute Child Health and Human Development.

The study shows that pregnant women who take half a cup of coffee a day tend to have slightly smaller babies compared to those who do not consume any caffeinated drinks.

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Past studies about Caffeine and pregnancy

Medical organizations recommend a limit to the consumption of caffeinated drinks among pregnant women.

The suggested caffeine consumption by the European Food Safety Authority and American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists is less than 200mg per day. That is around two cups of coffee daily. Studies in the past that caffeine intake during pregnancy can affect a baby's growth. However, these studies have inconsistent results.

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The current study about caffeine and pregnancy

The recent study, which was led by Dr. Katherie Grantz, examined two things. The first was to explore the relationship between caffeine consumption among pregnant women and a newborn baby's physical properties. The second thing that this study examined was to observe whether the relationship between caffeine consumption and a baby's size is curbed by fast or slow metabolism.

The study covered data from 2009 and 2013. The pregnant women observed in the study were from 12 clinical sites. A total of more than 2,000 women were part of the study and were composed of ethnically diverse women.

Aside from these, the pregnant women who became part o the study are non-smokers and did not have any health issues before their pregnancy.

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The results of the recent study

In the study led by Dr. Grantz, it was observed that the pregnant women who consumed caffeine at about 50 milligrams per day gave birth to babies that are 66 grams lighter compared to those pregnant women who do not consume any caffeine.

Aside from the weight of newborn babies, there is also a recorded difference between thigh circumference of babies born from moms who consumed caffeine and not during pregnancy. Those who consumed caffeine have newborn babies whose thighs are 32 cm smaller compared to babies born from moms who did not have any caffeine intake during pregnancy.

Although the results of the study were such, Dr. Grantz suggests that pregnant women consult with their physician about caffeine intake.

Caffeine during pregnancy and breastfeeding

In an article from Pregnancy Birth & Baby, it was suggested that pregnant women limit their intake of caffeine during pregnancy.

One of the suggestions to avoid caffeine intake includes choosing decaffeinated varieties of drinks or food since it has little to no caffeine.

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