Caffeine and birth defects

Most of us cannot imagine a good morning without that unique scent of coffee rushing through our body, beckoning us to taste it and get woken up by the wonderful flavor of this miraculous, boosting beverage. However, bearing in mind that caffeine influences our body in a certain way, pregnant women should cut down their caffeine consumption, preventing any damage affecting their babies.

Effects of Caffeine

Basically, caffeine is both a stimulant and a diuretic. Thus, it raises your levels of awareness while, at the same time increasing pressure and heart rate, increasing your fluid expelling through urination potentially leading to dehydration.

However, caffeine reaches the placenta and, thereby, your baby. Surely, your body may not have any problems with your caffeine indulgence. Yet, your baby may have since its metabolism is not powerful enough to deal with this substance. So, caffeine may affect the baby's sleeping patterns and movement, keeping both you and the child in you awake.

Keep in mind that caffeine is not only found in coffee. Rather, it is present in chocolate, energy drinks, sodas and even some medications which can be purchased without prescriptions.

Lies or Facts?

There are numerous claims backing up the statement about the harmful effect of caffeine on soon-to-be-born babies. Firstly, caffeine can trigger birth defects, early delivery, fertility decrease, low birth weight of the child and many other problems of this type. Even though this claim was not completely proven, you are still better of without coffee and caffeine during your pregnancy, playing it safe.

Also, bear in mind that certain studies have shown that caffeine can lead to infertility and even delayed conception. Moreover, women who consume more than 200mg of caffeine daily have much greater chances of having a miscarriage than women who stay away from caffeine face. So, if you have to consume coffee or caffeine in any form during your pregnancy, keep the dosage below 150mg.

So, you will want to skip Starbucks Grande Coffee, since it contains 400mg of caffeine. Also, the house blend coffee from the same source contains 259mg of caffeine in 16oz. Dr. Pepper has 37mg of this substance per 12oz while 32oz of 7 Eleven Diet Cola will grant you 124mg of it. The regular alternative of the latter mentioned beverage has the caffeine value limited to 92mg. Furthermore, coffee ice-creams may have up to 72mg of caffeine per 8oz, while 1oz of chocolate is rich in 26mg. Finally, 6oz of black tea contain 45oz of this stimulant while the green tea has the value reduced to 40mg.