No level of caffeine consumption is safe when trying to conceive or during pregnancy.
Caffeine is the most widely consumed stimulant drug worldwide. Caffeine intake during pregnancy is associated with negative outcomes, so the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that women limit their caffeine intake to 200 milligrams per day – roughly the amount in 12 ounces of coffee – during pregnancy. However, findings from a recent study suggest that no level of caffeine consumption is safe when trying to conceive or during pregnancy.
The authors reviewed 48 observational studies and meta-analyses of maternal caffeine consumption published during the last 20 years. The studies investigated associations between caffeine intake and negative pregnancy outcomes, including miscarriage, stillbirth, low birth weight and/or small for gestational age, preterm birth, childhood acute leukemia, and childhood overweight and obesity.
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Their analysis revealed that the majority of studies reported that maternal caffeine intake is associated with negative pregnancy outcomes. The studies reported significant dose-response associations that suggested causal links, and many of the reports indicated that there was no “threshold” of safe consumption.
These findings suggest that current health advice that assumes moderate caffeine consumption during pregnancy is safe is flawed, and women who are pregnant or planning on getting pregnant should avoid caffeine.