Drinking Coffee During Pregnancy

Drinking Coffee During Pregnancy

Coffee, one of the most widely consumed drinks in the world, contains caffeine, which is a psychoactive substance that affects the central nervous system. Many pregnant women love to drink coffee to get an invigorating effect and improve their mood. However, according to a new study conducted by Danish scientists, drinking large amounts of coffee during pregnancy can lead to serious consequences for the baby.

A study conducted on pregnant women enrolled in the Danish National Fertility Cohort found that drinking 8 or more cups of coffee per day during pregnancy doubled the risk of miscarriage and fetal death. Even drinking 4 to 7 cups of coffee per day increases the risk of fetal death by up to 33%.

The study involved 88,482 pregnant women who were asked to fill out a questionnaire about the amount of coffee, alcohol, smoking, and other potentially pregnancy-harming factors in their lives during the first 16 weeks of pregnancy or beyond. There were 1,102 fetal deaths reported during the study.

The study results showed that 55.4% of women did not drink coffee during pregnancy, 31.4% drank 1.5 to 3 cups of coffee daily and had a 3% risk of premature miscarriage, 13% of women who drank more than 3 cups of coffee ( 4 to 7) had a 33% risk, and those who drank 8 or more cups of coffee per day had a 59% risk of losing their baby. A particularly strong dependence was observed during pregnancy of 20 weeks or more.

Dr. Bodil Hammer Beh and colleagues concluded that based on the study, as well as previous work, pregnant women should be strongly advised to avoid drinking more than 3 cups of coffee per day.

However, the researchers found no link between drinking tea or cola and being at risk for pregnant women. Caffeine may not be the main culprit in spontaneous abortions, since coffee contains a large number of chemical components. In subsequent studies, scientists hope to resolve this ambiguity.

In conclusion, pregnant women should take serious care of their health and that of their baby and avoid drinking large amounts of coffee during pregnancy. It is recommended to limit coffee consumption to 1-2 cups per day, or better yet, avoid coffee altogether during pregnancy. If you love coffee and can't live without it, you may want to switch to low-caffeine drinks or replace your coffee with other non-caffeine drinks.

It's also worth noting that caffeine can be present not only in coffee, but also in other foods such as chocolate, soda, tea and energy drinks. Therefore, if you are pregnant, it is important to monitor the amount of caffeine you consume and limit it to safe levels.

Finally, do not forget that pregnancy is a special period in a woman’s life, and concern for the health of the child should come first. If you have any questions or concerns about drinking coffee during pregnancy, be sure to consult with your doctor.