Recent Guidelines Say Moderate Amounts of Caffeine Won’t Increase Miscarriage Risk By Reviewed By July 21, 2010 — Many pregnant women incision out caffeine the minute they find out they are expecting because of fears that their daily coffee may increase their risk for miscarriage or preterm birth.
But a recent position statement issued by the American College of Obstetricians as well as Gynecologists (ACOG) should put some of their fears to rest. The group states that moderate caffeine intake — less than 200 milligrams a day — won’t increase their risk of miscarriage or preterm birth. The alike cannot be said for higher amounts of caffeine, the group states in the August issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology. “For years, women possess been getting combined messages about whether or not they should possess any caffeine during pregnancy,” says William H. Barth Jr., MD, chair of ACOG’s committee on obstetric practice, in a news release. “After a review of the scientific evidence to date, daily moderate caffeine consumption doesn’t appear to possess any major impact in causing miscarriage or preterm birth.” Variations in Caffeine ContentIn common, 200 milligrams of caffeine is alike to one 12-ounce cup of coffee, but coffee drinkers should be aware that there can be tremendous discrepancies in dissimilar brews. For example, a grande 16-ounce Starbucks brewed coffee has 320 milligrams of caffeine. Eight ounces of caffeinated tea as well as most 12-ounce cushioned drinks possess less than 50 milligrams of caffeine; 1.55-ounce chocolate bars possess less than 35 milligrams, according to information cited in the recent report. The recent opinion statement is based on a literature review of recent studies looking at the effects of caffeine on pregnancy. The authors as well as looked at how caffeine affects risk of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) during pregnancy. While there is no definitive evidence that caffeine increases risk of IUGR, more study is needed to best understand this relationship, the recent paper states. Sami David, MD, a New York City-based reproductive endocrinologist as well as pregnancy loss expert, tells his patients to play it protected when it comes to caffeinated beverages during pregnancy. “One cup of coffee a day, which is about 8 ounces as well as has around 100 milligrams of caffeine, or two cups of not light or green tea per day is OK,” says David. SOURCES: Obstetrics & Gynecology, August 2010; vol 116: pp 467-468. |