Drinking half a cup of coffee a day during pregnancy could stunt the baby’s growth. At birth, he would have a smaller size than the others.
- Women who drink coffee during pregnancy – even in small doses – may give birth to smaller babies
- Coffee would cause a contraction of the blood vessels that irrigate the uterus
- Its effects would also be negative in the long term with a higher risk of heart disease for children in adulthood.
Half a cup of coffee a day might be enough to stunt a baby’s growth while still in its mother’s womb. This is the result of a study conducted by researchers from the National Institutes of Health, a public medical research agency based in the United States. The works have just been published in the JAMA Network Open journal. According to scientists, pregnant women who consumed half a cup of coffee a day had – on average – slightly smaller babies than those born to mothers who did not consume caffeinated beverages.
And the more the quantities increase, the more harmful the effects. Those who drank less than 200 milligrams of caffeine a day, or about two cups of coffee, delivered babies with lower height and body mass than other infants. “Until we learn more, our results suggest it may be prudent to limit or forego caffeinated beverages during pregnancy, underlines Katherine L. Grantz, co-author of the study. It’s also a good idea for women to talk to their doctor about their caffeine intake during pregnancy.”
Almost 100 grams less at birth
To arrive at these results, the authors analyzed the data of more than 2000 pregnant women from eight to thirteen weeks. All were non-smokers and had no health problems. Every day, expectant mothers had to record their consumption of drinks containing caffeine – coffee but also tea, sodas or other energy drinks – and make a weekly report. From the tenth to the thirteenth week, they also had tests to assess their blood levels of caffeine and paraxanthin, a compound produced when caffeine is broken down in the body. Thus, the researchers were able to compare the repercussions of this caffeine consumption on babies. Those born to women with high caffeine blood levels were on average lighter (by 84 grams), smaller (by 0.44 centimeters) and had a smaller head circumference (by 0.28 cm) than other infants. In contrast, lower caffeine intake appears to have had smaller impacts on babies. In fact, moms who drank about 50 milligrams of caffeine a day – or half a cup of coffee – had babies that were 66 grams lighter than those of pregnant women who didn’t consume any caffeinated beverages.
As an adult, risk of heart disease
Caffeine would therefore be very bad for future babies. According to the researchers, this substance would cause the blood vessels of the uterus and placenta to constrict, which would decrease the blood supply to the fetus and thus reduce its growth. Scientists also believe that caffeine may disrupt fetal stress hormones and put infants at a high risk of weight gain after birth, associated with a greater likelihood of obesity, heart disease or diabetes as they age. adult. Thus, the consequences of caffeine consumption – even moderate – during pregnancy can therefore be serious and affect the health of the child in the long term.
Previous studies had already shown that mothers consuming more than 200 milligrams of caffeine per day had smaller infants. But, until now, no scientific work made it possible to establish with certainty that a daily consumption of 200 milligrams or less of caffeine put the baby at risk.
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