Scientists believe that pregnant women who consume caffeine in excess are at higher risk of miscarriage.
New evidence shows that women who drink a disproportionate amount of caffeine in the form of coffee, sports drinks, chocolate, or colas close to pregnancy are more likely to miscarriage.
On the other hand, caffeine can also impact men as well as women. Consuming more than two cups a day of caffeinated beverages influenced their fertility levels. This study conducted by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development is the most extensive on this matter.
According to Germaine Buck Louis, who led the study, there is a strange connection between drinking caffeine-based beverages and the risk of miscarriage. However, it was also found that taking mineral supplements and vitamins before and during pregnancy could slash a woman’s miscarriage rates by half.
Previous studies showed that vitamin B6 and folic acid could reduce the risk of pregnancy failure if they are included in preconception and pregnancy vitamin regimes.
For the study, 344 couples in the states of Texas and Michigan agreed to be under observation as they tried to conceive and start a family. Researchers asked them to write down every caffeinated drink they consumed from the beginning of the study (2005) to the end (2009).
The basic concept was to observe the factors that led to a woman becoming pregnant and what kept her pregnant until the baby’s birth. In addition to coffee intake, the couples were also required to note down their fish consumption, smoking habits and the number of alcoholic drinks they had.
Both partners weighed themselves regularly and sent to the testing lab urine, semen, blood, and saliva samples. For the ladies, researchers also asked for regular pregnancy tests.
To determine what are the factors that could hinder birth, the team took into consideration pesticides in food and mercury levels found in fish; however, it was the caffeine consumption they kept a particularly vigilant eye on.
The results of this study are especially useful for couples who are trying to get pregnant, as the minimization of baby loss is the ultimate goal of every parent.
At the end of the study, researchers noted that of the 344 pregnancies, 28 percent – or 98 – ended in miscarriages. It was determined that women aged above 35 posed a greater risk of an early miscarriage.
Younger women have the benefit of a considerably reduced rate of spontaneous abortion. However, the risk increased by 74 if they habitually drink three or more caffeinated beverages.
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