One of the hallmarks of conversation for pregnant women is the effects of drinking coffee. Here I break down the issues at hand, followed by my final thoughts on this nine-part series on coffee’s health effects.
Delayed Conception:
Even though some population studies failed to show any effect of drinking coffee and delay in time to conception, there are other studies showing that consumption of coffee or caffeine in the range of 400 mg to 800 mg a day significantly delayed conception. That’s important information for couples aiming for a pregnancy.
Pregnancy Complications:
There are several potential risks during pregnancy with the consumption of coffee including:
— Spontaneous Abortion: Whether coffee drinking during pregnancy leads to spontaneous abortion is a controversial topic. There are studies to support this and other studies that refute this claim. Nonetheless, it is prudent for a pregnant woman to limit her intake of coffee and caffeine to less than 300 mg a day.
— Fetal Growth: Several studies have showed that caffeine intake (range: 200 mg to 400 mg a day) led to a birth weight of 100 g less than a non-consumer of caffeine would experience. A meta-analysis showed that intake of caffeine greater than 150 mg a day increased the risk of low birth weight by 50%. There are also conflicting results with regards to the effects of coffee drinking and fetal growth retardation. It seems prudent to limit coffee and caffeine intake to less than 300 mg a day during pregnancy.
— Preterm Delivery: Most of the population studies have not shown any relationship between coffee drinking and preterm delivery.
— Birth Defects: At the present time, there is no evidence that caffeine intake (range: 300 mg to 1,000 mg a day) can lead to birth defects.
Final Remarks:
Here I’ll refresh the main points you can take away from all this research.
One: Drinking coffee may prevent the following diseases: type 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, age-related memory decline, and colorectal and liver cancers.
Two: Drinking coffee is not related to an increase in cardiovascular disease, such as coronary heart disease or stroke.
Three: Drinking coffee is not associated with an increased incidence of cancer.
Four: To prevent the occurrence of complications such as spontaneous abortion or retarded fetal growth, pregnant women should limit their caffeinated coffee intake to three cups or 300 mg a day.