Pregnant women can drink a few cups of coffee a day without causing harm to baby, say experts
Experts have described a new study which links caffeine with harm during pregnancy as alarmist. The controversial research paper, published in the BMJ Evidence Based Medicine, says women should cut out coffee completely in order to prevent carriage, low birth weight and stillbirth.
However, the NHS, the European Food Safety Authority and the American and UK Colleges of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists say this is extreme, and that, while mothers-to-be should limit their caffeine intake, consuming 200mg or less a day should not pose any significant risk.
The new research has looked at 48 studies on the subject, but the paper's author, Prof Jack James, a psychologist at Reykjavik University in Iceland, acknowledges that his findings are observational, so can't definitively prove whether caffeine will harm an unborn child. It does not show cause-and-effect link, nor does it take into consideration confounding factors such as cigarette smoking and wider dietary issues.
Dr Luke Grzeskowiak, a pharmacist at the University of Adelaide, Australia, told the BBC that the research paper was "overly alarmist" and inconsistent with accepted evidence.
"There are so many dos and don'ts associated with pregnancy and the last thing we need is to cause unnecessary anxiety," said Grzeskowiak. "At the end of the day, women should be reassured that caffeine can be consumed in moderation during pregnancy."
The NHS website states that pregnant women can consume 200mg of caffeine a day, the equivalent of two cups of coffee, without causing any harm to the baby. Caffeine is also found in energy drinks and at lower levels in cola, chocolate and tea.
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