Everything you ingest can impact your baby when you're pregnant. Some habits, such as drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes, are well-known culprits of pregnancy complications and birth defects. While drinking a cup of coffee or green tea may seem less risky than having a shot of liquor, recent evidence has linked caffeine to various prenatal risks, according to Epigee Women's Health.
Risk
Caffeine passes through the placenta to your fetus, but a fetus can have more trouble metabolizing caffeine because it has an immature metabolic system, according to ScienceDaily. This means your baby may end up storing caffeine inside her blood for a long period of time and eventually build up to a dangerous level. Drinking caffeine may also pose risks to your baby by decreasing blood flow to the placenta and impacting cell development.
Miscarriage Risk
Taking high doses of caffeine every day during pregnancy may increase your risk of miscarriage, according to a 2008 study in the "American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology". In the study, women who regularly had 200 mg or more of caffeine each day were twice as likely to miscarry than women who didn't have any caffeine. Women who had less than 200 mg of caffeine a day still had more than a 40 percent higher risk of miscarriage than women who had no caffeine. Not all research draws a direct link between caffeine and miscarriage, but you may be better off erring on the side of caution, according to BabyCenter.
Recommended Limits
In light of the 2008 evidence from the "American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology" study, the March of Dimes recommends that you consume no more than about 200 mg of caffeine a day during pregnancy. Still, some experts recommend cutting down to 150 mg or less and others may loosen the limit to 300 mg a day or less, according to the American Pregnancy Association. Start a dialogue with your doctor and follow her advice.
Healthy Tips
Because 8 oz. of brewed coffee contains about 137 mg of coffee, cutting back on the morning brew is one major step you can take toward limiting your caffeine intake. Cut back on brewed tea, which contains about 48 mg of caffeine per 8 oz.; cola drinks, which can contain about 37 g per 12 oz.; and dark chocolate, which has about 30 mg per 1.45 oz., according to the March of Dimes. If you're experiencing caffeine withdrawal symptoms such as headaches and irritability, slowly decrease your intake of caffeine by mixing regular coffee with decaf and gradually increasing the decaf portion. Another way to cut back on caffeine in non-herbal tea is to steep it for 1 minute rather than 5 to 10 minutes. Look for other ways to boost your energy naturally, such as getting regular exercise and drinking at least 8 cups of water per day.
References
- Epigee Women's Health: Caffeine and Pregnancy
- BabyCenter: Caffeine During Pregnancy
- American Pregnancy Association: What's the Real Scoop on Caffeine During Pregnancy?
- March of Dimes: Caffeine in Pregnancy
- "American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology"; Maternal Caffeine Consumption During Pregnancy and the Risk of Miscarriage; X. Weng, et al; 2008
- ScienceDaily: Caffeine is Linked to Miscarriage Risk, New Study Shows; 2008
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