Coffee is a drink that should be limited during pregnancy since caffeine passes through the placenta to the fetus. One of the effects that caffeine can have on children is a shorter height.
Medical recommendations recommend that pregnant women consume less than 200 mg of caffeine per day, the amount in 2 cups of coffee. The Harvard Nutrition Source notes that caffeine has been associated with pregnancy loss and low birth weight.
A new study found that children who were exposed to small amounts of caffeine before birth they were shorter in height.
Agree with the study published in JAMA Network Open, intrauterine exposure to increasing levels of caffeine and paraxanthine, even in low amounts, was associated with shorter height in early childhood.
In the study by cohort, at 4 years, the children of those who consumed caffeine had a shorter height at 4 years than those whose parents did not consume it, and the gap widened each year up to 8 years.
The report concludes that height and weight reductions are unclear; however, reductions were evident even at levels of caffeine consumption below clinically recommended guidelines of less than 200 mg per day.
For women who are trying to get pregnant it is also advisable to reduce caffeine intake to one or two 6 to 8 ounce cups of coffee per day. Caffeine has been linked to decreased fertility. The Mayo Clinic notes that female fertility does not appear to be affected by caffeine intake below 200 mg per day.
Naturally Caffeine is not only present in coffee, but also in tea leaves (Camellia sinensis), in cocoa and also in cola nuts, guarana seeds, yerba mate leaves, among other plants. There is also synthetic caffeine, which is added to some medications, foods, and beverages. For example, pain relievers and energy drinks.
For healthy adults, the FDA has listed 400 milligrams per day, which is four to five cups of coffee.
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