Pregnancy and coffee: a cup of coffee may not be as risky as you think – National

Drinking coffee during pregnancy may not be as risky as once thought, according to a recent study that found no strong link between caffeine consumption and neurodevelopmental problems in children.

Despite these reassuring findings, the researchers still recommend that pregnant people adhere to medical advice about caffeine limits.

The observational study, published October 9 in Psychological medicinesuggested that drinking a moderate amount of coffee during pregnancy is unlikely to have a significant effect on a child’s brain development.

“Our analysis found no link between coffee consumption during pregnancy and children’s neurodevelopmental problems,” said co-author Gunn-Helen Moen, from the University of Queensland’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience.

“Overall, our study supports current clinical guidelines stating that low to moderate coffee consumption during pregnancy is safe for the mother and developing baby,” Moen said in a study. accompanying commentary article on October 14.

These findings reflect the advice of the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC)which states that drinking caffeine in small amounts during pregnancy is safe.

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Current PHAC guidelines recommend keeping caffeine intake below 300 milligrams per day, which amounts to about two cups of coffee. This includes coffee, tea (including black, oolong, white and green tea), caffeinated soft drinks (cola drinks) and energy drinks, chocolate and herbs such as guarana and yerba mate.

HealthLinkBC also states that small amounts of caffeine are safe for the fetus. It is recommended to keep caffeine intake below 300 mg per day as higher levels of caffeine may be associated with an increased risk of miscarriage, the report said.

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“There are no studies showing that it has a harmful effect on the fetus. And generally speaking, I say one to one to two cups a day is fine,” explains Dr. Lynn Murphy-Kaulbeck, specialist in maternal-fetal medicine and president of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada (SOGC).

She noted that some research suggests that high caffeine intake very early in pregnancy – equivalent to six, seven or eight cups per day – may be a risk factor for miscarriage. But those are high amounts.

Prior have investigations The suggested increased coffee consumption during pregnancy has been linked to the child having neurodevelopmental problems such as ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder).

This is because caffeine and its main byproducts (paraxanthin, theophylline and theobromine) can easily pass through the placenta to the fetus. And because the fetus does not yet have fully developed enzymes to break down caffeine, there has long been concern that it could potentially build up in the system and negatively affect the developing brain of the fetus.

Coffee and caffeine consumption is often related to other factors, such as age, smoking and alcohol consumption, that may not have been accurately taken into account in previous studies of risks to fetal development.

So the researchers next wanted to find out whether coffee was the actual cause of these risks, or whether other factors were involved.

To do this, the study looked at tens of thousands of families that were registered the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study. All pregnant women in Norway between 1999 and 2008 were invited to participate and 58,694 women participated with their child.

“Scandinavians are among the largest coffee consumers in the world, drinking at least four cups a day, with no stigma surrounding drinking coffee during pregnancy,” Moen said in a press release. “Our research used genetic data from mothers, fathers and babies, as well as questionnaires about parents’ coffee consumption before and during pregnancy.

Parents were asked about their coffee consumption before and during pregnancy, as well as the neurological characteristics of their child aged six months to eight years. The participants also provided genetic samples, allowing researchers to check for genetic variants shared between mothers and children, allowing for clearer analysis of the effects of coffee drinking, the study said.

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Without adjusting for possible confounding factors such as maternal smoking, alcohol consumption and parental education and income, the researchers found an association between higher maternal coffee consumption and various neurodevelopmental problems in the offspring.

However, after taking into account possible confounding factors, the previously significant effects of maternal coffee consumption on neurodevelopmental problems in offspring decreased to almost zero.

“Our MR analyzes found little evidence for a causal effect between maternal coffee consumption and the neurodevelopmental problems of most offspring,” the study concluded.

The researchers concluded that there were limitations to the study, as it could only rule out strong effects on neurodevelopmental problems, and it is possible that there are small effects. Coffee consumption during pregnancy can affect others and children in other ways.

The study also highlighted the need for additional research on this topic to better understand how mothers’ coffee consumption affects child development. In the meantime, however, the researchers said that low to moderate coffee consumption during pregnancy is safe for the mother and developing baby.

“I think women need to hear that it’s okay to drink coffee during pregnancy,” says Murphy-Kaulbeck. “They don’t have to worry; in fact, they should enjoy it.”

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