(05-10-10) Caffeine intake leads to smaller babies

by David Gutierrez, staff writer


Drinking the equivalent of six or more cups of coffee a day while pregnant
can lead to lower birth weight and length, according to a study conducted by
researchers from Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam, Netherlands, and
published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Researchers followed 7,300 women from the first weeks of their pregnancies
through delivery, using an ultrasound scan to estimate fetal length at the end
of the first and second trimesters. At the end of each trimester, the women
also reported their coffee- and tea-drinking habits, allowing the researchers
to estimate their average daily caffeine intake.

The researchers found that women who consumed the caffeine equivalent of six
cups or more of coffee per day -- 2 to 3 percent of all mothers -- gave birth
to infants that were shorter than women who had consumed less caffeine. Their
infants were also significantly shorter at the end of the first and second
trimesters.

"Caffeine intake seems to affect length growth of the fetus from the first
trimester onwards," researcher Rachel Bakker said.

Women who consumed the most caffeine were also significantly more likely to
give birth to a child that was underweight for its age. Because only seven
underweight babies were delivered during the course of the study, however, the
researchers warned that this correlation might be coincidental.

The researchers also warned that their study should not be construed to mean
that drinking five cups of coffee a day while pregnant is safe.

"We only studied the effect of caffeine on fetal growth," Bakker said. "Future
studies on possible other effects of maternal caffeine intake are therefore
needed."

The March of Dimes recommends that pregnant women consume no more than 200
milligrams of caffeine per day, the amount found in a single 12-ounce cup of
coffee (the size usually sold in the United States as "small"). This
recommendation is based on research suggesting that caffeine may increase a
woman's risk of miscarriage.

Sources for this story include: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUS....
(NaturalNews)

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In evidenza

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Per coloro che hanno problemi di salute si consiglia di consultare sempre il proprio medico curante.