Babies of pregnant women who consume over 200 mg of caffeine per day are at an increased risk of fetal growth restriction which could result in low birth weight and/or miscarriage. “There is evidence that excessive caffeine intake is associated with an increased risk of miscarriage.
Previous studies have linked high caffeine consumption (more than 200 milligrams of caffeine per day) during pregnancy to infants being small for their gestational age (stage of pregnancy) or at risk for intrauterine growth restriction—being in the lowest 10th percentile for infants of the same gestational age.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends that pregnant women limit their caffeine consumption to less than 200 mg (about two, six-ounce cups) per day.
Most people get their liquid caffeine fix with a soft drink, energy drink, tea or coffee. If you're pregnant, the American Pregnancy Organization recommends you limit your caffeine intake to 200 mg a day and this includes food with caffeine, too.
Our results suggest that a high caffeine intake in the third trimester may be a risk factor for fetal growth retardation, in particular if the fetus is a boy.
Every pregnancy starts out with a 3-5% chance of having a birth defect. This is called the background risk. Caffeine has not been shown to cause an increased chance for birth defects above the background risk.
Thus, maternal caffeine intake during pregnancy likely leads to accumulation of caffeine in the fetus's brain, which might affect early development and later childhood outcomes.
If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, consuming up to 200mg a day is safe for your baby. The approximate amounts of caffeine found in food and drinks are: 1 cup of instant coffee: 60mg. 1 shot of espresso coffee: 100mg.
Most experts agree that it's safe to have up to 200 milligrams per day of caffeine during pregnancy,1 which is equal to approximately two 8-ounce cups of brewed coffee.
Although caffeine does cross the placenta, it has been shown that caffeine does not cause a decrease in uterine blood flow or fetal oxygenation 8. Two studies have assessed the relationship between caffeine consumption and mean birth weight differences 6 7, and two others have recently reported on IUGR.
Babies of pregnant women who consume over 200 mg of caffeine per day are at an increased risk of fetal growth restriction which could result in low birth weight and/or miscarriage. “There is evidence that excessive caffeine intake is associated with an increased risk of miscarriage.
What does 200mg of caffeine look like? You will be reaching 200mg of caffeine with, for example: 2 bars of plain chocolate and one mug of filter coffee. 2 mugs of tea and one can of cola.
You can have caffeine, but no more than 200mg per day.
Babies who are reacting to your caffeine intake may be unusually irritable, fussy, or wakeful. They may have a harder time staying asleep.
Researchers noted that caffeine is believed to cause blood vessels in the uterus and placenta to constrict, which could reduce the blood supply to the fetus and inhibit growth.
Doctors and midwives do not recommend energy drinks to anyone during pregnancy. Energy drinks contain a lot of caffeine and many other ingredients that could be unsafe for pregnant people.
How much caffeine is safe during pregnancy? Current guidelines from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and other experts say that it's safe for pregnant women to consume up to 200 milligrams (mg) of caffeine a day (the equivalent of one 12-ounce cup of coffee).
For healthy adults, the FDA has cited 400 milligrams a day—that's about four or five cups of coffee—as an amount not generally associated with dangerous, negative effects.
In particular, high caffeine consumption while pregnant can cause increased fetal catecholamine levels, which could lead to increased fetal heart rate and placental vasoconstriction and impair fetal oxygenation. Therefore, caffeine intoxication in pregnant women should be treated immediately.
Recommendations for pregnancy
The recommended limit in Australia is a maximum of 200mg caffeine per day. This would be equivalent to 1 cup of strong espresso style coffee, 3 cups of instant coffee, 4 cups of medium strength tea, 4 cups of cocoa or hot chocolate or 4 cans of cola.
Hot chocolate and cocoa are safe during pregnancy. Be sure to double-check if ingredients like milk or cream are pasteurized, and watch your caffeine content. We'll guide you through everything you need to know about consuming hot chocolate during pregnancy and provide some delicious ideas for chocolatey drinks.
Perinatal brain damage in the mature fetus is usually brought about by severe intrauterine asphyxia following an acute reduction of the uterine or umbilical circulation. The areas most heavily affected are the parasagittal region of the cerebral cortex and the basal ganglia.
For example, women who consumed eight or more cups of coffee daily had an adjusted relative risk of 1.47 (95% confidence interval, 1.18-1.89) of having a child with a behavioral profile that fit ADHD. However, caffeine consumption at 30 weeks did not correlate with behavioral outcomes.
“Anyone planning to have a baby needs to know that consuming caffeine during pregnancy can raise the risk of stillbirth and other pregnancy complications, so it's important to cut down as much as you can; the national guidelines should be the limit, not the goal, and the more you can cut down beyond that the better.
As a general rule of thumb, expectant mothers can have about 10 ounces of brewed or drip coffee per day, or one to two shots of espresso. (Psst… We sell decaf espresso, so you can enjoy your fave espresso with less caffeine!)