Too much coffee and fear of stillbirth

Women who drink large amounts of coffee during Pregnancy double their risk of stillbirth compared with women who do not drink any coffee, according to recent research. Coffee is a commonly consumed stimulant that contains caffeine. Exposure to caffeine during pregnancy has been associated with an increased risk of spontaneous abortion and low birth weight. Results from previous studies in monkeys suggest that high daily doses of caffeine in pregnancy increase the risk of stillbirth, but evidence from studies in humans had been lacking. Caffeine may increase the risk of late fetal death in different ways. It increases the release of catecholamines, leading to vasoconstriction and fetal hypoxia. Caffeine may also have a direct effect on the cardiovascular system of the fetus leading to tachycardia and other arrhythmias. In a study of 18,478 singleton pregnancies, researchers at the Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark evaluated the risk of stillbirth and infant death associated with coffee consumption during pregnancy. Women completed two questionnaires before the first visit for routine antenatal care at about 16 weeks of gestation. They were asked about current intake of coffee, tea, drinking chocolate, and cola, and women could indicate any whole number of daily cups of coffee, tea, and drinking chocolate, or bottles of cola. The study population was further restricted to those with valid information about coffee intake during pregnancy. 7878 (43%) women did not drink any coffee, 6362 (34%) drank one to three cups a day, 3288 (18%) drank four to seven, and 950 (5%) drank eight or more.

Adjusting for several potential factors (smoking, alcohol use, maternal age, etc.), they found that the risk of stillbirth increased with the intake of coffee during pregnancy. Compared with women who did not drink any coffee, women who drank four to seven cups a day had an 80% increased risk of stillbirth, and women who drank eight or more cups a day had a 300% increased risk. The study concluded that pregnant women who drink eight or more cups of coffee a day had more than twice the risk of stillbirth compared with women who did not drink coffee during pregnancy.

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