Caffeine intake during pregnancy

Every expecting mother needs to follow certain dos and don’ts during her pregnancy journey. Starting from the lifestyle change to diet change, she has to follow everything for the baby’s wellbeing. 

The common questions from Caffeine lover usually are it safe to consume coffee/tea during pregnancy?? Especially during the first trimester? What should be the ideal amount of caffeine consumption when you are pregnant?

What does caffeine do during pregnancy?

Caffeine works as a natural stimulant and raises blood pressure and heart rate. This can affect the fetus and hence it is not recommended during pregnancy. Moreover, caffeine can lead to frequent loo visits and a drastic decrease in body fluid. All this can eventually cause dehydration.

The UK Food Standards Agency issued advice in October 2001 to restrict caffeine intake during pregnancy as it can lead to low birth weight in babies. It can also increase the gestation time. Each 100 mg of caffeine intake in expecting mothers can reduce almost 1 ounce in the baby’s birth weight. In addition to it, the duration of pregnancy is increased by 4-5 hours.

Effect of Caffeine on your baby

An expecting mother’s body can handle the amount of caffeine, but the baby cannot deal with it. The baby’s metabolism is still developing and cannot digest the caffeine. The caffeine content can also have a negative effect on fetus sleep pattern and overall development.

Caffeine can lead to potential hazards as the components offer zero health benefits to the baby and hence is not recommended for pregnant women.

Ill Effects of Caffeine

Affect Brain Development: The components present in caffeine can reduce the development of the brain and can lead to retardation.

Birth Defect and Low Birth Weight: According to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) studies and research on animals, caffeine can lead to birth defects and preterm delivery. It increases the risk of lower birth weight in babies and can also cause reproductive issues.

Delayed Conception: Sometimes, a high level of caffeine consumption can lead to delayed conception and cause infertility.

Cardiovascular Damage: Caffeine can lead to thin of the heart chamber in the fetus. Excessive caffeine intake can result in a rise in body fat level and reduce the overall cardiac function.

Miscarriage: As per studies conducted by the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology in the year 2008, caffeine can cause miscarriage. Expecting women who consume 200 mg or more caffeine every day are likely to have more chances of miscarriage.

Carcinogenic: Increase caffeine consumption by pregnant women can lead to cancer in the unborn baby.

Anaemia: US Food and Drug Administration has suggested that women should avoid caffeine during pregnancy. Since it works as a natural stimulant and can increase blood pressure. It reduces the RBC in the blood and decreases the iron absorption from the food to the body. All of this can lead to anaemia.

Drinks that Contains Caffeine:

Caffeine is not only found in coffee, but it is also present in other food like.

1. Tea: All type of tea, be it green tea or lemon tea; there is a presence of a small amount of caffeine in it.

2. Chocolate: During your pregnancy, you make crave for chocolate and chocolate-based drinks, but it contains a high level of caffeine.

3. Aerated Drinks: The carbonated beverages contain a good amount of caffeine and should be avoided. You can consume fresh fruit juice instead.

Recommended caffeine consumption during pregnancy

It is highly recommended to avoid caffeine as much as possible. According to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) studies, they shared their opinion on Caffeine. They concluded that pregnant women should limit their caffeine intake to just 200mg per day during pregnancy. This will protect both pregnant women and fetus from caffeine’s ill effect.

Safer Alternatives to Caffeine

1. If you are consuming a small amount of caffeine, make sure to keep yourself well hydrated by drinking plenty of water.

2. You can include milk and milk products to increase vitamin B12 and calcium content in the body. It will keep your digestive system healthy and works as a natural source of protein.

3. Switch yours to fresh and homemade juices instead of caffeine drinks. All the fruits are loaded with minerals and vitamins.

4. Consume dry fruits and healthy seeds to reduce the urge of taking caffeine drink. It is the best way to increase fibre content, proteins, and antimoniate.

Too much consumption of caffeine can cross the placenta and lead to multiple complications during pregnancy. It reduces iron absorption and dehydrated the body. It is best to avoid the consumption of coffee, tea, chocolate drinks, and other caffeine-based food during the pregnancy for a happy healthy baby.

Reference Links

1. https://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancy-health/caffeine-intake-during-pregnancy/

2. https://www.who.int/elena/titles/caffeine-pregnancy/en/

3. https://www.bmj.com/content/337/bmj.a2332