There was a time that the pregnant mommies savored one too many cuppa coffees and this was a source of concern for the unborn child. Researchers felt concerned and doctors had advised the pregnant women to stay away from caffeine, but now they have stated that a moderate amount of caffeine during pregnancy is not harmful for the baby and the child’s IQ is not affected.
To assess whether coffee was safe for the unborn child, a sample of pregnant women was selected, which was made a part of Collaborative Perinatal project organized from 1954- 1974, that was carried out at different locations by the researchers.
Blood samples of about 2197 women who were pregnant, and had consumed caffeine were tested for the study. The study included analyzing the amount of Paraxanthine, a compound, in their blood.
Principal investigator Mark A. Klebanoff has stated that “We did not find evidence of an adverse association of maternal pregnancy caffeine consumption with child cognition or behavior at four or seven years of age.” The researchers state that there is no regular pattern or direct evidence that coffee consumption has a link with the baby’s intelligence. They revealed that a moderate intake of caffeine during pregnancy, did not lead to increased behavioral problems, a low IQ, or obesity later in childhood.
The period of 1954-74 was when the researchers felt that coffee was taken in more quantities by pregnant women than it was today and no heed was paid to its safety for the unborn child. In these 15 years coffee intake was the highest because women ignored its effect on the child’s intelligence. The doctors used to advice the pregnant women to stop caffeine intake the moment the pregnancy’s first signs were noticed. Caffeine does lead to an increase in the heart rate and blood pressure of the pregnant mother and this is the reason why it was not recommended during pregnancy earlier.
The principal investigator, Dr. Sarah Keim, at the Center for Biobehavioral Health at the Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, showed that one or two cups of coffee for pregnant women is safe. Dr Keim stated: ‘Taken as a whole, we consider our results to be reassuring for pregnant women who consume moderate amounts of caffeine or the equivalent to one to two cups of coffee a day.’
Details of the study are available in the journal Epidemiology.
