News Technology

Oakland, Calif. (NewsTechno) – Pregnant women should not consume caffeine, say American researchers.

Taking high daily doses of caffeine during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage said De-Kun Li, MD, Ph.D., from Kaiser Permanente Division of Research and lead investigator of the study.

The risk of miscarriage is doubled with a consumption of 200 mg or more of caffeine per day, which represents two or more cups of coffee or five cans of caffeinated soda, said Li.

This increased risk would be well linked to caffeine rather than other chemical components present in coffee because caffeine consumption from other sources other than coffee, such as caffeinated soda, tea and hot chocolate, showed a similar risk, said Li.

The study has showed that a quarter of women who had 200 mg or more of caffeine intake per day had suffered a miscarriage while only one woman in eight for those who did not take caffeine.

Among women who consumed less than 200 milligrams daily, the risk of losing their fetus was still 40% higher than those who abstained from caffeine drinks.

Several women reduce their consumption of caffeine because of morning sickness and vomiting caused by the pregnancy.

Details of this study are published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Adapted from materials provided by Kaiser Permanente Division of Research