HOW AN EXTRA CUP OF COFFEE PILES ON A BABY’S POUNDS

▶ Study of child growth in 50,000 mothers over six years links higher caffeine intake to more overweight children

Pregnant women who drink coffee could increase the chances of their children being overweight, a six-year study of more than 50,000 expectant mothers found.

The Norwegian study, published in the British Medical Journal, compared the caffeine intake of 50,943 mothers using a model to assess the growth of children up to the age of 8.

Results showed that children whose mothers drank more than 200 milligrams of caffeine a day while pregnant had a consistently higher weight and higher body mass index during childhood.

Information on the mothers’ dietary habits was gathered through questionnaires completed during the first 22 weeks of pregnancy. It found 46 per cent had a low caffeine intake, 44 per cent had normal levels and 10 per cent had high or very high levels during pregnancy.

Doctors in Dubai said the results added weight to the advice that expectant women should reduce their caffeine intake or avoid it altogether, and that many were unaware of its presence in other food.

“Pregnant women are advised to cut off caffeine completely,” said Dr Gul Rana, a specialist in obstetrics and gynaecology at the Canadian Specialist Hospital, Dubai.

“If that seems impossible, the consumption of caffeine should be reduced as much as possible and be limited to one cup a day. Decaffeinated coffee is a good alternative and easily available at coffee shops. Women must note that coffee and tea aren’t the only source of caffeine – it’s often present in chocolates, sodas and some pain-relief medicines.”

Of children born to women with a low caffeine intake, 11 per cent were overweight at the age of 3, while 17 per cent born to mothers with very high caffeine levels were overweight, as classified by World Health Organisation benchmarks.

Caffeine is the world’s most widely used central nervous system stimulant and occurs naturally or is added to food and drink. After ingestion, caffeine is readily absorbed into the bloodstream and distributed to the tissues, and then metabolised in the liver.

During pregnancy, elimination of caffeine is prolonged as it rapidly passes biological membranes, including the blood-brain and placenta barriers, to expose the foetus.

“We have come across pregnant women suffering from common side-effects like insomnia and increased heart rate and blood pressure,” Dr Gul said. “Severe side effects have been observed among patients consuming high dose of caffeine through energy drinks. There is no safe level of caffeine consumption.

“Although the research conducted suggests less than 200mg a day is safe, it’s always better to be safe and avoid caffeine completely.”

Pregnant women consuming caffeine may experience tremors in the limbs, palpitations and difficulty sleeping. It can also aggravate other health issues in pregnancy and in severe cases cause hypertension.

Other problems associated with excessive caffeine are dehydration, gastric issues, fatigue and constipation.

While the study results have linked maternal caffeine consumption with overweight children, other doctors have associated it with premature births or lower birth weights.

“Some of the risks with excessive caffeine could be miscarriage, premature birth or smaller babies for their gestational age,” said Dr Raquel Loja Vitorino, an obstetrician at Brightpoint Royal Women’s Hospital in Abu Dhabi.

“There are no conclusive effects of caffeine during pregnancy, but as caffeine crosses the placenta we know the baby will take much longer to metabolise it in the same way as the mother.”

Several health authorities, including the National Health Service in England and Wales, have set 200mg a day as a limit.

“Due to conflicting and insufficient evidence regarding harmful effects of caffeine, the consumption should be restricted to about one or two cups daily, or 200mg,” said Dr Josephine Jose, a consultant in obstetrics and gynaecology in Dubai.

Coffee and tea aren’t the only source of caffeine – it’s often present in chocolates, sodas and some medicines DR GUL RANA Obstetrician, Canadian Specialist Hospital, Dubai