Caffeine During Pregnancy

There is no question that lots of of us love our early morning cups of coffee, or tea. Caffeine wakes all of us from our slumber and helps us become notify for the challenging day ahead. The true question, which is very important for a pregnant female to understand is why, and how, caffeine impacts the mother's body-and the following affect of the cup of coffee, tea or hot chocolate to her uncreated, unbegotten, unconceived child.

Products that contain caffeine, such as coffee, tea, and chocolate are between the most used and wide-spread products consumed in the world and its consumption may date as much back as 3000 BC, in China. While caffeine is known to be a natural pesticide that paralyzes and kills insects feeding on certain plants, it's sustained popularity stems from its unique physiologic and pharmacologic properties. Within other words, caffeine includes chemicals which have a profound stimulating Fenster affect on the nervous system, as well as many other human being bodily processes.

Caffeine's stimulant properties may:

affect the central nervous system leading to increased alertness and excitement levels.
cause an increased center rate.
have a diuretic affect that may guide to increased urination.
impact the muscular system positively through increased coordination and capacity to perform physical work but can also influence the muscular system adversely in higher doses, as it can also lead to tremors.
have mental effects which can increase short term memory but decrease long-term memory.
increase the effectiveness of other drugs, such as headaches medications, and can help overcome drowsiness from antihistamines.
What happens to the baby when a product containing caffeine is consumed?

Caffeine is absorbed by the stomach and small intestine within 45 minutes of ingestion. It crosses readily to the placenta, accumulating in both the fetus and amniotic liquid. It is metabolized 3 times more slowly in pregnant women compared to non-pregnant women, permitting greater, and longer lasting, accumulation in the fetus.

Caffeine also significantly decreases blood flow in the placental villi, (small projections which help increase absorption of nutrients) through constriction of the ships. Keep in mind that the fetus gets everything it needs from blood circulation including nutrition, oxygenation, etc . and, if these boats become constricted, the baby gets less of everything necessary for growth and development. Consequently, it is thought that maybe this constriction can possibly lead to reduced growth and can be associated with damaged development later on in life-or even stillbirth.

Considering the quantity of caffeine consumed, knowing whether caffeine is harmful in pregnancy is a significant public health problem. Many studies have already been written about the security of caffeine in being pregnant most concluding that no malformations have been ascribed to caffeine consumption and that most scientists assume that caffeine is not a teratogen (an agent or factor that causes malformations within an embryo) in humans.

Nevertheless , concerns regarding harmful effects have stemmed from animal and human studies which have shown decreased intrauterine fetal growth, lower birth weight load (less than 2500 grams), and skeletal abnormalities. (Vlajinac, 1997; Caan, 1989). Some other studies have shown no association between caffeine use and adverse outcomes in pregnancy. (Linn, 1982; Bech 2007, Clausson, 2000) Outcomes of these types of studies are always questionable because many have been retrospective studies; those being studies that depend after patient recollection, vary in the numbers of caffeine consumed, have differing sources of caffeinated drinks (coffee, tea, chocolate, medication), and have different methods of preparation and providing sizes.

Other studies have correlated specific quantities of caffeine consumed as being the identifying factor of risk. (Fenster, 1991)

It is known, however, that caffeine is readily transferred into human milk and for that reason breast feeding mothers, who consume caffeine, may cause stimulatory effects in young children.

In 1980, the United States Food and Drug Administration advised pregnant women to avoid caffeine that contains foods and drugs, or utilize them sparingly.

The UNITED KINGDOM Food Standards Agency has recommended that women limit caffeinated drinks intake to under two hundred mg of caffeine each day, which is the same as 2 cups of instant of coffee.