Is it permissible to drink coffee during pregnancy?

One of the many questions that expectant mothers ask themselves is whether it is permissible to drink coffee during pregnancy.

The authoritative source “American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology” published an expert opinion on this matter a few months ago.

Specialists in obstetrics and gynecology are convinced that pregnant women who consume more than 200 mg of caffeine per day are at a much greater risk of miscarriage than those who do not drink caffeinated beverages.

Caffeine is an alkaloid that constricts blood vessels and thus the amount of blood reaching the placenta is significantly reduced.

The resulting abnormality in the blood supply also negatively affects the fetus and is very likely to disrupt the process of its normal development.

A parallel study regarding the effects of caffeine on expectant mothers and their children was also conducted in Denmark.

Scandinavian scientists found that women who drink coffee during the period of intrauterine development of the child have an increased risk of stillbirth.

And the likelihood of such an adverse event for expectant parents is twice as high among women who drink coffee compared to those who do not consume the caffeinated beverage at all.

It was also found that newborns of mothers who failed to give up drinking coffee during pregnancy and continued to take 500 mg. caffeine a day, sleep less and their children’s anxiety level is higher and they are more likely to be mentally unstable during the growth period.

Coffee, as well as tea, contains phenols that hinder the absorption of iron in the body. And most women develop anemia during pregnancy, caffeine consumption may complicate the condition.

Can pregnancy and drinking coffee “go together”?

If a pregnant woman cannot give up her habit of drinking a cup of coffee, she can replace it with decaffeinated coffee. Decaffeinated teas are also available now. In this case, the risk to the fetus is significantly reduced.

But it should be remembered that caffeine is also found in many other drinks and also in chocolate. Below is a short list of the amounts of caffeine contained in some drinks, in some drinks and in chocolate:

1. Black tea – 40-120 mg;
2. Espresso coffee – 20-90 mg;
3. Red Bull can 0.250 l – 80 mg;
4. Green tea – 30-50 mg ;
5. Coca Cola can 0.250 l. – 35 mg;
6. Milk chocolate 100 g. – 28 mg;
7. Iced tea /bottle 0.5 l/ – 26 mg.
br/> 8. Coffee without caffeine – 3-26 mg.
9. Dark chocolate 100 g. – 78 mg.