Coffee during pregnancy: am I harming my future child?
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Time to read 3 min
With a positive pregnancy test, thousands of new questions suddenly arise. Many of them revolve around food, because the mother-to-be no longer eats just for herself. We answer questions about coffee consumption during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
We answer these questions in this blog:
- What are the general scientific recommendations regarding the amount of coffee that can be consumed during pregnancy?
- What consequences can coffee consumption during pregnancy and breastfeeding have on the child's quality of sleep?
- Can drinking coffee during pregnancy lead to premature birth, miscarriage or ADHD in children?
1. recommendation on coffee consumption during pregnancy and breastfeeding
According to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the recommendation for a healthy pregnant or lactating woman is not to exceed half the maximum amount of caffeine for a healthy adult1. The guideline value corresponds to a maximum consumption of 200 milligrams of caffeine spread over the entire day, or approximately two cups of coffee. To guarantee the safety of the newborn, no more than two cups of coffee should be drunk per day, the exact quantity should always be discussed with the doctor.
2. effects on newborn sleep
Pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers often don't want to give up their daily coffee. We completely understand this, but does the child's sleep suffer? A Brazilian study of moderate coffee consumption during pregnancy and breastfeeding found no effect on sleep in three-month-old infants.
The results of the study raise questions, because the concentration of caffeine in the blood of the fetus is similar to that of the pregnant woman, since caffeine can cross the placenta without hindrance. It is therefore unclear why even high caffeine consumption during pregnancy and breastfeeding had no effect on the sleep of the children in the study. A possible reason could be a developed tolerance of the unborn child to caffeine, if he is already regularly exposed to it in the mother's womb. In addition, scientists do not yet agree on how much caffeine ultimately reaches the child through breast milk3.
3. possible negative effects on the unborn child
According to one study, newborns were more likely to develop ADHD or other hyperkinetic disorders when they consumed significant amounts of caffeine, well above the maximum recommended amount. It should be noted that other influencing factors also played a role. This study cannot therefore be transposed to a particular case4.
What does science say about drinking coffee during pregnancy?
Unfortunately, there are still too few significant studies on the effects of coffee during pregnancy, so not all questions are yet clarified. According to the available studies and the EFSA recommendation, coffee does not seem to be totally taboo for pregnant and breastfeeding women, depending on the quantity, the constitution of the mother and child and the medical evaluation.
Other studies report that maternal caffeine consumption is associated with serious negative effects on pregnancy5.
The fact seems to be one thing
If the future mother or breastfeeding mother consumes caffeine regularly and in large quantities per day, negative effects on herself and on the child cannot be excluded (e.g. ex sleep disorders, mood swings, premature labor, birth defects and ADHD).
If you don't want to take this risk and prefer to play it safe, we recommend our decaffeinated capsules with 0% caffeine. We decaffeinate our coffee without using chemicals and use the Swiss Water process for this.
Don't hesitate to consult our other articles on myths related to coffee and on l
