Attention expectant mothers! "JAMA" shockingly revealed: Pregnant women drink half a cup of coffee a day and their babies shrink by an average of 2 centimeters.
Does pregnant women’s caffeine intake affect the average height of their postpartum children? The latest research published in the authoritative journal “JAMA” indicates that drinking even a small amount of caffeine may lead to shorter height in children, and may even be related to excessive weight gain in infancy and high BMI in childhood.
Does caffeine intake affect fetal growth? Study reveals: Half a cup of coffee can make children “shrink” by 2 centimeters
Study author Dr. Jessica Gleason and her team intercepted the data of 1,116 parent-child pairs to conduct research. It includes random interview records of children from 1960-1974 and 2009-2013, and secondary analysis will begin in 2021-2022. The research team measured the concentrations of caffeine and “hypoxanthine” (a caffeine metabolite) in the subjects’ blood during the first three months of pregnancy. The average caffeine intake is roughly 2 medium cups of Americano.
After the subjects’ children were born, the research team continued to track their physical condition until they were about 8 years old, measuring items such as height, BMI, obesity risk, etc. The results showed that caffeine intake during pregnancy was associated with shorter height in later childhood. Compared with subjects who did not consume caffeine, even consuming only about 50 mg (about half a cup of American coffee) may cause their offspring to be approximately 2 cm shorter in height.
Does drinking coffee during pregnancy make children grow shorter and gain weight? Experts suspect that caffeine may “damage fetal development”
Dr. Gleason pointed out that it is still uncertain how caffeine affects fetal health. The possible underlying reason is that caffeine and hypoxanthine can pass through the placenta and enter the fetal blood; in addition, the body metabolizes caffeine slower after pregnancy, and the final reason is that caffeine It can last up to 10 hours, and the time for caffeine to act in the body becomes longer, which also increases the degree to which the fetus is affected by caffeine.
Dr. Gleason also stated that previous studies have found that moderate intake of caffeine (about 200-300mg) by pregnant women may reduce the chance of their children becoming overweight and obese in the future. However, in this study, it was found that the higher the caffeine intake (about 200-300mg) Drinking more than 6 cups of coffee a day) will increase the risk of obesity and high BMI in children.
“Pregnant women metabolize caffeine at a slower rate, making it more difficult for the fetus and placenta to produce ‘CYP450’ - the main enzyme required for caffeine metabolism. In addition, maternal caffeine intake will inhibit the fetal regulatory process of decomposing glucocorticoids, which is beneficial to The accumulation of caffeine in fetal tissues may increase fetal insulin sensitivity by altering the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, thereby disrupting fetal growth,” Dr. Gleason said.
Don’t just limit your caffeine intake! The British Health Department recommends that you should eat less of the “4 foods” during pregnancy
Dr. Gleason pointed out that the clinical significance of caffeine-induced height differences in late childhood is unclear, and more data are needed to support the findings. However, according to guidelines published by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), it is considered relatively safe for pregnant women to consume less than 200mg of caffeine during pregnancy; it is recommended that commercially available medium-sized lattes be avoided in drinking more than 2-3 cups a day. above.
In addition to limiting caffeine intake, the British National Health Service (NHS) also urges the public that women must avoid the following diets or habits during pregnancy to avoid affecting fetal growth:
Bad habits such as alcoholism and smoking. Studies have confirmed that nicotine and alcohol in cigarettes can cause long-term harm to the fetus. If women plan to become pregnant in the near future, they should completely give up smoking and alcohol addiction to ensure the healthy development of the fetus.
Eat raw. Raw meat, sashimi, raw eggs, and raw offal should be avoided during pregnancy. Listeria monocytogenes can easily breed in raw food, which not only increases the risk of food poisoning in pregnant women, but may also lead to fetal miscarriage or stillbirth. Pregnant women are advised to heat all food thoroughly before eating.
Specific seafood. Larger fish may contain excessive amounts of mercury and are recommended to be avoided during pregnancy, such as short tuna, big eared mackerel, swordfish, swordfish, snapper, shark, etc.
Processed foods or foods high in fat. Processed foods contain excess sodium and saturated fat, which can easily lead to inflammation and obesity in pregnant women. Fried foods such as French fries and fried chicken, and dessert drinks such as cakes, biscuits, and hand-shaken drinks should also be eaten less.
Source:
Foods to avoid in pregnancy - NHS
Association of Maternal Caffeine Consumption During Pregnancy With Child Growth
Further reading:
Drinking coffee protects kidneys? Study: 3 cups a day reduces acute kidney injury by 22%
