Numerous studies have warned of the dangers of drinking coffee during pregnancy. While the beverage is authorized for pregnant women, it must not exceed a certain daily quantity, as this could alter the weight and size of the fetus.
Pregnant women (or those planning to become pregnant) can rest assured: it is possible to drink coffee during pregnancy. But be careful, consumption must remain limited!
Coffee contains caffeine, a stimulant that acts on the central nervous system. Pregnant women who drink a lot of coffee are therefore at risk of suffering the effects of caffeine (nervousness, heart palpitations, sleep disorders, heartburn, headaches).
As a reminder, caffeine is also found in tea (albeit in smaller proportions), energy drinks (such as Coca-Cola) and dark chocolate.
During pregnancy, how much caffeine should not be exceeded per day?
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), caffeine consumption during pregnancy (and throughout breastfeeding) should not exceed 300 mg per day. This represents 2 cups of coffee or 3 espressos.
In addition to the adverse effects for themselves, pregnant women who exceed this amount increase the risk of miscarriage and premature birth, as highlighted by a study published in the journal BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine.
Excessive coffee consumption associated with reduced height in children
According to another study by the National Institute of Health’s Department of Pediatrics, excessive coffee consumption during pregnancy has an impact on the development of the fetus, particularly its size.
In fact, according to the scientists’ observations of two groups of pregnant women (one with a caffeine intake of less than 50 mg per day and the other with an intake equivalent to 2 cups per day), the children of mothers in the second group – measured at 4 and then 8 years of age – were shorter than the children of mothers in the first group (between 0.68 and 2.2 centimetres).
Babies with lower birth weights than others
As for the child’s weight, a Norwegian study of some 60,000 pregnant women showed that the babies of women who drank « a lot » of coffee during pregnancy (between 200 and 300 mg) were lighter overall than the others.
« This weight loss is not a problem for a normal-sized, healthy baby, but it can have consequences for a baby at the lower end of the weight curve or with other associated risks, » comments Sophie Guillaume, President of the Collège national des sages femmes de France.