Caffeine passes through the placenta and umbilical cord to your baby. Caffeine may or may not have potentially harmful effects in pregnancy, including an increase in miscarriage and birth defects, but studies have not given conclusive results. Few studies have been done specifically on the effects of caffeine and the umbilical cord. Nevertheless, the March of Dimes recommends restricting caffeine intake during pregnancy to less than 200 mg per day.
Umbilical Cord Caffeine Sampling
It's possible to test cord blood for the presence of caffeine. Testing cord blood caffeine levels can help determine the effect of caffeine on issues that may arise during pregnancy, labor or after delivery. Because caffeine dissipates rapidly in your system, cord blood measurements reflect only caffeine levels only at a specific time and don't give any information about caffeine exposure during the entire pregnancy.
Studies on Apnea
Apnea of prematurity is a common but potentially deadly complication usually seen in preterm babies, who periodically "forget" to breathe. Medical practitioners often use caffeine and other central nervous system stimulants to decrease apneic episodes after birth. One Brazilian study reported in the March-April 2010 "Jornol de Pediatria" found that preterm infants who had caffeine in the umbilical cord from maternal intake had a slightly delayed occurrence of apneic episodes compared to infants without caffeine in the umbilical cord. This effect did not last or affect the eventual development of apnea.
Studies on Intrauterine Growth Retardation
Although you may have grown up hearing that coffee would stunt your growth, researchers from Yale University found the opposite to be true in a study published in the June 2006 issue of the "American Journal of Epidemiology." Researchers found a decreased risk of intrauterine growth retardation, also called IUGR, in infants whose cord blood contained caffeine metabolites from maternal ingestion in pregnancy.
Cord Blood Abnormalities
No studies show that caffeine has an effect on umbilical cord abnormalities such as abnormally short or long cords or cord with abnormal blood vessels, according to The Pregnancy Institute.
References
- "American Journal of Epidemiology" Caffeine Metabolites in Umbilical Cord Blood, Cytochrome P-450 1A2 Activity, and Intrauterine Growth Restriction; L. Grosso, et al.; June 2006
- "Jornol de Pediatria"; Serum Levels of Caffeine in Umbilical Cord and Apnea of Prematurity; C. Hentges, et al.; March-April 2010
- "Annals of Epidemiology"; Prenatal Caffeine Assessment : Fetal and Maternal Biomarkers or Self-Reported Intake?; Laura Grosso, et al.; 2008
- The Pregnancy Institute; Silent Risk--Issues About the Umbilical Cord; J. Collins, M.D., et al.
- American Pregnancy Association: Caffeine Intake during Pregnancy
Member Comments