Coffee and pregnancy don’t gel well: Experts caution

London, November 3: Adding more to the already documented pregnancy ‘Do’s and Don’ts’, pregnant women are being advised by British health experts to cut down on caffeine intake over raised concerns of delivering underweight babies.

The revised guidelines issued by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) recommend a coffee intake of not more than two cups a day, i.e. 200mg, down from the earlier daily limit of a maximum of 300mg.

Apart from the coffee restrain, pregnant women should also watch their intake of cola, chocolate and other energy drinks high on caffeine, the agency avers.

The study, to be published in the British Medical Journal this week, monitored 2,500 pregnant women, all coffee lovers. Each participant filled in a questionnaire detailing their daily caffeine intake. The data was then compared to the birth weight of the baby.

A high caffeine intake not only increased the chances of underweight births but also increased the instances of spontaneous abortion, researchers found.

The birth weight was more important for a baby born a few weeks younger, however, experts warn, "if you're small for gestational age, you're more likely to have intellectual impairment and hyperactivity in later life."

"This is new advice but these are not new risks. I want to reassure women that if you're pregnant and have been following the previous advice, the risk is likely to be tiny,” FSA's chief scientist Andrew Wadge said.

More importantly, as the first trimester of pregnancy is a crucial period for the baby, women should abstain from caffeine altogether.

Infants born underweight are more likely to suffer developmental problems like mental impairments, underdeveloped organs and health conditions like heart disease and diabetes. They are also likely to die early.

Interestingly, last month a Swedish study unveiled a rather unusual adverse effect of gulping down too much coffee; it reduced the breast size in women.

As caffeine, the compound hugely found in coffee, is responsible for the coffee's negative health effects, switching over to decaffeinated versions could be a healthier option, researchers suggest.