Consuming even fewer amounts of caffeine has negative impacts on pregnancy leading to miscarriages and other problems.
Beginning a day with caffeinated products seems to make the day good but it has negative impacts on pregnant women. According to research, it is clearly understood that a hot cup of tea/coffee makes the unborn baby shorter than other infants whose mothers avoid these products.
Recommended levels
The guidelines of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommend 200mg or less of caffeine while trying to get pregnant or during pregnancy. This is equal to 1-2 cups of coffee or 2-4 cups of tea per day.
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends avoiding energy drinks during pregnancy. These products will have artificial flavors and they will also enhance higher sugar levels for mothers.
Physicians Views
Dr. Jessica Gleason, a perinatal epidemiologist states that “the research has made clear that the children who were born to caffeinated mothers were shorter than other children. But the differences between their height seem very small.” Dr. John Foxe, Director of Del Monte Institute of neuroscience said, “Small differences in psychiatric and behavioral issues are seen in children who are born to caffeinated mothers.”
Risks Involved:
There are several risks associated with caffeinated products during pregnancy:
- Usually women metabolize very slowly during pregnancy .It takes about 1.5 to 3.5 time’s longer to eliminate these products from the body.
- It may cause miscarriage, High blood pressure, Rapid heartbeat, Dizziness, Tiredness etc among mothers
- Low birth weight and shorter height for the infant
Safe Drinks
Consuming Herbal drinks is considered safe during pregnancy. These include:
a)Peppermint tea: An aromatic herb and flavoring agent in which the dried leaves are immersed in hot water to get the essence. It’s better to avoid it in the first trimester.
b)Raspberry Tea: Red Raspberry tea stimulates contractions and it helps women in the last trimester.
c)Ginger tea: Relieves vomiting symptoms and indigestions.
These drinks should be taken only in adequate amounts.
Ways to Limit Caffeine products:
- One cannot limit caffeine products such as coffee/tea, soft drinks and energy drinks completely. They can easily reduce the amount of intake by lowering it to 1-2 times per day.
- Decaffeinated products / fresh juice can be taken as alternatives daily.
- Doing some relaxation exercises while the feeling exists.
Read more: Anti-inflammatory therapy helps treat preterm pregnancy babies
