Pregnant Women Consuming Caffeine During Pregnancy Risk Children Becoming Obese

Caffeine Risk in Pregnancy: Women are already warned about excessive caffeine intake during pregnancy due to a higher risk of miscarriage and low birthrate.

Now, fetal exposure to a high level of caffeine has been connected to children gaining an excess amount of weight during early childhood.

An observational study published in the online journal BMJ open, suggests that mums-to-be should just cut out caffeine altogether.

A 51,000 mothers with their babies who took part in the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study between 2002 and 2008, were questioned about their food intakes using an adapted Food Frequency Questionnaire. This covered caffeine intake from sources including coffee, black tea, caffeinated fizzy drinks, energy drinks, and chocolate, which included cakes, milkshakes and desserts.

The participants’ caffeine intake was grouped into different levels of daily consumption from low to very high. Their children’s height, weight and body length was measured at different age stages and mapped on growth trajectories.

A total of 46 per cent of pregnant mums had low caffeine intake, with a further 44 per cent an average, 7 per cent high and 3 per cent very high.

Data from the study found that those with a high intake were statistically likely to be older than 30, had more than one child and smoked during pregnancy. Women with a very high intake were found to be more poorly educated and obese before they became pregnant.

A mother with an average intake of caffeine was 15 per cent more likely to have an obese child, those with a high intake 30 per cent and those with a very high intake 66 per cent.

Any exposure to caffeine at any level during pregnancy increased the risk of the child becoming overweight at the ages of 3 and 5 years, whilst a very high level continued up to the age of 8 years.

In conclusion, the researchers wrote of their findings: ‘We found that the risk of excess infant growth and overweight in childhood—important risk factors for later cardiometabolic disease—is increasing with maternal caffeine intake, with no apparent threshold.

Maternal caffeine intake >200?mg/day during pregnancy was associated with high weight gain velocity beginning from the first months of life and higher BMI throughout childhood. Our findings support the recommendation to limit caffeine intake during pregnancy.’

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