Pregnant women were asked to monitor their coffee intake because one cup could contain unsafe levels of caffeine which could cause miscarriages. It is recommended by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence that pregnant women have no more than 300mg of caffeine a day but the Food Standards Agency only recommend 200mg a day. They also state that during the first three months women should go without caffeine all together. Every coffee shop makes their coffee differently so one shop could contain six times more caffeine that another one. Women that drink more than the expected amount could increase their risk of having a small baby or a miscarriage. Low birth weight babies are at a greater risk for developing heart problems and cardiovascular disease later in life.
This is important for many women around the world who drink not only coffee but any drinks that contain caffeine. There caffeine intake could affect their unborn child greatly because of the negative health problems associated with it. This problem can easily be fixed by not drinking caffeine at all or closely monitoring how much caffeine is being consumed in a day. Not drinking caffeine within the first trimester can help reduce risks as well because the embryo is beginning to form some essential organs and the mother’s body needs to be as healthy as possible to provide the child with all the nutrients it needs. Drinking tea may be something other cultures do a lot. Depending on the type of tea it is, it could also be a health risk.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/dec/01/pregnant-women-coffee-risk
2 comments:
I think it is important for women to be made aware of how serious their caffeine intake can be during pregnancy. With many coffee, tea, and even energy drinks on the market it would take only 1 or 2 drinks to be above the recommended amount. I have seen numerous pregnant women still enjoying their "morning" (all morning until lunch) cup(s) of coffee or tea. Pregnant women should be aware of the effects of such drinks, on their child and themselves.
This article was extremely alarming for me. I am an avid coffee drinker, and I also hope to one day have several children. So this was extremely important information for me to receive
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