If you dream of seeing your future child become an NBA star, avoid at all costsdrinking coffee while pregnant. This is essentially the message delivered by the team of Dr. Jessica Gleason, a researcher at the American National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, who have just published a study showing that the consumption of caffeine during pregnancy has an impact on the height of the future child.
For this study, the researchers assessed the body mass index (BMI), weight and height of 2,500 children aged 4 to 8 years to test whether drinking coffee during pregnancy could have an impact on the growth of the child. They discovered that children whose mothers consumed caffeine had lower height scores. On the other hand, this would not have no impact on weight.
Caffeine accumulates in the placenta
It’s not yet known exactly how caffeine affects children’s stature, but researchers have a few theories. “Maternal caffeine metabolism slows during pregnancy, so caffeine and its metabolites cross the placenta, and the fetus, which cannot metabolize or break them down, may be exposed to caffeine buildup as the pregnancy progresses,” explains Dr. Gleason at U.S. News. “Additionally, too much caffeine can also lead to increased insulin sensitivity in the fetus, which can potentially have lasting consequences on normal growth,” adds the scientist.
It also specifies that their study speaks well of the effects of caffeine and not only of coffee. All exposure to caffeine (which includes chocolate, tea, energy drinks and sodas) should therefore be avoided during pregnancy. so here’s 10 Reputable 100% Caffeine-Free Alternatives if you want (still) to keep energy during pregnancy!
Source : Association of Maternal Caffeine Consumption During Pregnancy With Child Growth Journal of the American Medical Association, October 2022
