How much caffeine is safe to drink during pregnancy? The answer is not as simple as it seems – HEOR Insights

Pregnant women and those trying to conceive should not consume coffee or other caffeinated products to prevent birth defects and other bad outcomes, according to a recent literature review. However, some experts disagree and tell CNN that 200 milligrams of caffeine per day is safe.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the National Health Service (NHS) recommend that pregnant women limit their caffeine intake to 200 milligrams (mg) per day (~2 cups of instant coffee). ) to avoid the risk of miscarriage and health problems in children. However, a new study shows that there is no safe level of caffeine consumption for the mother.

Professor James from Reykjavik University conducted a review of studies related to maternal caffeine intake and pregnancy outcomes and found that:

• Maternal caffeine consumption is associated with increased risk
  • Miscarriage
    • Risk increased 7%-14% for every 100 mg increase in caffeine consumed per day during pregnancy and 19% for every 150 mg increase
  • Stillbirth
    • Increased risk of stillbirth over 100 mg of caffeine per day 9% -19%
  • Low birth weight and/or small for gestational age
    • “A maternal supplement of 100 mg of caffeine per day was associated with an increased risk of LBW by 7% in one of the two meta-analyses and 13% in the second.”
  • Acute leukemia in children
  • Overweight and obesity in children

• Maternal caffeine consumption was not found to be associated with risk of preterm birth

According to the author, “current advice such as the ACOG, DGAC, EFSA and NHS recommendations are inconsistent with the level of threat indicated by the biological plausibility of harm and the extensive empirical evidence of harm. reality. Therefore, current health recommendations regarding caffeine consumption during pregnancy need to be radically revised. Specifically, the accumulating scientific evidence supports pregnant women and women contemplating pregnancy to be advised to avoid caffeine.”

However, some experts don’t support the study’s results and told CNN that 200 milligrams of caffeine a day is still a safe level. Experts question the reliability of the new review study’s results for a number of reasons:

• Results are based on self-reported consumption data, may not be accurate
• The study is observational and therefore we cannot establish causal inference
• Experts agree that pregnant women drinking a lot of caffeine are risky but believe that “pregnant women do not need to cut out caffeine completely because the risks are extremely small.”

Further investigation through randomized controlled trials will help to understand exactly how much caffeine intake during pregnancy is safe.