Pregnant women who worry that drinking a little coffee could put them at risk of a miscarriage can rest easy: the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has issued a new guideline saying some caffeine is okay.
In a statement released Wednesday, the College said moderate caffeine consumption doesn't appear to cause miscarriage or preterm birth. However, it added that it remains unclear whether high levels of caffeine consumption are linked to miscarriage.
For years, women have been getting mixed messages about whether they can have any caffeine during pregnancy. In fact, many pregnant women cut out caffeine the minute they find out they are expecting, because of worries about miscarriage.
But Dr. William H. Barth, Jr, chair of the Committee on Obstetric Practice said in a statement Wednesday that after reviewing the scientific evidence to date, daily moderate caffeine consumption doesn't appear "to have any major impact in causing miscarriage or preterm birth."
Moderate caffeine consumption is considered less than 200 mg of caffeine per day. That equates to about 12 ounces of coffee. Eight ounces of caffeinated tea and most 351-ml soft drinks have less than 50 milligrams of caffeine; 1.55-ounce chocolate bars have less than 35 milligrams, according to information cited in the new report.
The ACOG Committee on Obstetric Practice also investigated how caffeine affects risk of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) during pregnancy. After reviewing the evidence, they say they found no clear proof showing caffeine might restrict fetal growth.
But they added that while there is no definitive evidence that caffeine increases the risk of IUGR, more study is needed to better understand this relationship.
The Committee Opinion "Moderate Caffeine Consumption During Pregnancy" appears in the August issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
Source: www.ctv.ca/CTVNews
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