Caffeine Use During Pregnancy Linked to Shorter Children

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Highlights:

• Pregnant women should limit their daily caffeine intake to 200 milligrams, or roughly two 6-ounce cups of coffee
• Compared to children born to mothers who abstained from caffeine entirely throughout pregnancy, children of mothers who consumed little to no caffeine on average were slightly shorter

Even modest maternal caffeine use during pregnancy is associated with smaller child height from 4-8 years, according to a recent study published in JAMA Network Open.

"The reductions were apparent even with levels of caffeine consumption below clinically recommended guidelines of less than 200 mg per day," the authors wrote. "The clinical implication of this height difference is unclear and warrants future investigation."

‘Even a small amount of coffee consumed by the mother during pregnancy may impact the child�s height.’

"To be clear, these are not huge differences in height, but there are these small differences in height among the children of people who consumed caffeine during pregnancy," said lead author Jessica L. Gleason, PhD, a perinatal epidemiologist.

Caffeine Recommendations During Pregnancy

There are numerous pieces of advice on things to avoid during pregnancy. High caffeine intake is detrimental to unborn children. While some studies have identified no such dangers, others have connected moderate coffee drinking during pregnancy to low birth weight and other undesirable outcomes.

The American Academy of Obstetricians and Gynecologists advises pregnant women to limit their daily caffeine intake to 200 mg. A regular mug of filter coffee contains about 140 mg of caffeine. Tea, soft drinks, energy drinks, cocoa, and chocolate contain caffeine.

Drinking Coffee During Pregnancy Impacts the Child's Height

According to the study, the slightly shorter height was noticed beginning at age four and increasing until age eight, translating to a 0.68 to 2.2 cm difference. These results were documented even among children whose mothers drank less than half a cup of coffee daily during pregnancy.

It is uncertain if this would lead to persistent height disparities into maturity. Additionally, the study found no evidence of a connection between shorter stature and caffeine intake.

"Shorter stature, though not necessarily associated with obesity in childhood, has been associated with obesity and increased diabetes risk in adults," the study says.

Source: Medindia

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