A new study found that drinking coffee while pregnant is not linked to any neurodevelopmental difficulties in children. The researchers, however, advise expectant mothers to continue following medical guidelines surrounding caffeine consumption. The corresponding study was published in Psychological Medicine.
Coffee is among the most commonly consumed beverages in the world, and the drink remains widespread among women while pregnant. Research shows that during pregnancy, caffeine can cross the placenta and reach the developing fetus, where there are no enzymes to metabolize it. Until now, however, studies have reported mixed results on whether drinking coffee affects offspring neurodevelopment. In the current study, researchers thus sought to investigate the topic further.
To do so, they analyzed health data from the world's largest cohort of genotypes parent-offspring trios, the Norwegian Mother, Father, and Child Cohort Study (MoBa). Their analysis included genetic data as well as questionnaires about parents' consumption before and during pregnancy. Participants also answered questions about their child's development until the age of 8 years, including social, motor, and language skills.
"We used a method called Mendelian randomization which uses genetic variants that predict coffee drinking behavior and can separate out the effect of different factors during pregnancy," said co-lead author of the study, Dr Gunn-Helen Moen, of the Institute for Molecular Bioscience at The University of Queensland, Australia, in a press release.
"It mimics a randomized controlled trial without subjecting pregnant mothers and their babies to any ill effects. The benefit of this method is the effects of caffeine, alcohol, cigarettes and diet can be separated in the data, so we can look solely at the impact of caffeine on the pregnancy,” she added.
The researchers initially found positive associations between maternal- but not paternal- coffee consumption and offspring difficulties in social communication/ behavioral flexibility and inattention/hyperactive /impulsive behavior. After adjusting for potential confounders, however, such as smoking, alcohol, education, and income, these links were attenuated to null.
The researchers emphasize the importance of adhering to guidance from healthcare providers that urge caffeine intake to be limited while pregnant, as caffeine may nevertheless affect other pregnancy outcomes.
Sources: Science Daily, Psychological Medicine
