Mothers-to-be warned no level of caffeine safe
There is no safe level of caffeine intake in pregnancy or for women trying for a baby, scientists have said. They now want a “radical revision” of health guidelines after a review of almost 50 studies suggested links between caffeine and miscarriage, stillbirth, low birth weight or size, preterm birth, childhood acute leukaemia and childhood obesity. The current advice is that pregnant women can safely drink about two cups of instant coffee a day without affecting babies’ health.
NO AMOUNT of caffeine is safe in pregnancy or for women trying for a baby, research suggests.
The current advice is that such women can safely drink about two cups of instant coffee a day without affecting unborn babies’ health.
But a review of almost 50 studies, published in BMJ Evidence Based Medicine, suggests there is no safe level of caffeine consumption for them.
Researchers have called for a “radical revision” of health guidelines, advising those who are pregnant or trying to conceive to cut out caffeine entirely.
The Royal College of Midwives last night backed the call, saying that women needed to be able to make informed decisions about what to eat and drink during pregnancy.
Scientists examined 48 observational studies and meta-analyses of links between caffeine and up to six negative pregnancy outcomes: miscar- riage, stillbirth, low birth weight or size, preterm birth, childhood acute leukaemia and childhood obesity.
A total of 42 separate findings were reported. Of these, 32 found that caffeine significantly increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, and 10 found no or inconclusive associations.
Prof Jack James, of Reykjavik University, Iceland, said: “Caffeine-related risk was reported with moderate to high levels of consistency for all pregnancy outcomes except preterm birth.”
Fourteen of the studies linked caffeine consumption with increased risk of four adverse outcomes: miscarriage, stillbirth, low birth weight, and childhood acute leukaemia. The studies were observational, meaning they could not prove that caffeine intake caused the risk, but researchers said it was likely that caffeine was the cause, as the chance of negative outcomes increased depending on how much was drunk. No level of caffeine consumption was found to be free of risk.
Currently, the NHS and the European Food Safety Authority both suggest the safe limit is 200mg caffeine, the equivalent to around two cups of moderate-strength coffee per day. Prof James said such advice “is not consistent with the level of threat” shown by the research.
Caffeine is a stimulant, and can increase blood pressure, heart rate and stress hormones.
Dr Mary Ross-davie, of the Royal College of Midwives, said: “There is a need to ensure that women make informed choices about what they eat and drink during pregnancy. Midwives will support women to do that, taking into account this latest research. We hope the current guidance will now be reviewed in light of these findings.”
A number of studies on caffeine have had contradictory results, with some suggesting that more than 200mg a day can double miscarriage risk, while others found that up to 300mg was safe.
Scientists said women who drank a lot of caffeine might be more likely to have unhealthy habits, which might not be fully taken into account.
Dr Daghni Rajasingham, consultant obstetrician and spokesman for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said: “Other, potentially more reliable research, has found pregnant women do not need to cut caffeine out entirely because these risks are extremely small, even if the recommended caffeine limits are exceeded.”