Pregnancy Made Easier with Chiropractic

Caffeine hurts your unborn baby, ADD

Coffee & Caffeine During Pregnancy

Links to Learning Disabilities, ADD and Behavior Disorders

INTRODUCTION

A very large review of the coffee/caffeine research was presented by French researcher, Dr. Astrid Nehlig, in the 1994 journal Neurotoxicology and Teratology. His review summarized over 200 medical journal articles on the coffee/caffeine subject. Below are what we consider to be the most significant quotes from Dr. Nehlig’s article:

"The teratogenic effect of caffeine has been clearly demonstrated in rodents. However, rodents are much more sensitive than primates to the teratogenic effects of many substances. Moreover, the quantity of caffeine needed to induce malformations in rodents reaches doses that are toxic in man. Thus a woman weighing 60 kg would have to consume 50-70 cups of coffee per day (or at least 20 cups if interspecific metabolic variations are taken into account) to absorb the equivalent of 80-100 mg/kg/day of caffeine, which is the dose usually required for development of malformations rats."

"World coffee consumption is increasing. Analyzing the data from surveys carried out in the United States, Japan, and West Germany for the period of 1980-1991, it appears that the number of coffee drinkers has decreased by 2-5% in three countries, while coffee consumption, in terms of number of cups/consumer/day has increased in each country."

"A mean size cup (150 ml) of caffeinated coffee contains in general about 90 mg of caffeine and 63 mg of caffeine for soluble instant coffee. The same volume of decaffeinated coffee contains 3 mg of caffeine, whereas the content of caffeine reaches 32-42 mg in 150 ml of tea and 16 mg in 150 ml of cola drinks."

"The daily consumption of caffeine in the general population ranges from 202-283 mg of caffeine which represents 2.7-4.0 mg/kg/day in males and females 20-75 years old."

"The half life of caffeine ranges from .7 -1.2 hours in the rat and mouse, 3-5 hours in the monkey and 2.5-6 hours in humans."

"Caffeine half-life is increased in the neonatal period in both animals and humans due to the immaturity of hepatic (liver) enzyme systems, namely cytochrome P-450. Half lives of 40-130 hours are found in premature and newborn infants. They decrease rapidly to 14.4 and 2.6 hours in 3-5 month and 5-6 month infants, respectively. Longer half-lives of caffeine are found in breast-fed than in formula fed infants."

"The U.S. Food and Drug Administration published a warning in 1980 advising pregnant women to restrict or even eliminate consumption of coffee given the teratogenic effect (the ability to cause birth defects) observed in rodents."

"Finally, in comparing results of drug administration in both humans and animals, a correction factor for the dose must be applied, also called metabolic body weight. Indeed, dose equivalents based on metabolic body weight are substantially lower than those based on body weight: 20 mg/kg in the rat is equivalent to about 17 cups of coffee (at 100 mg/cup) in a 70-kg man on a body weight basis, but only 4 - 6 cups when corrections are made for differences in metabolic body weight."

"In the monkey, spontaneous abortions and stillbirths have been recorded at the 2 doses used, 10-15 and 25-35 mg/kg/day of caffeine. (Equivalent to 2-3 cups and 5-8 cups of coffee, respectively). In humans, coffee and caffeine consumption from other sources have been associated with a higher incidence of spontaneous abortions (in 5 studies."

"The association between coffee and/or caffeine intake and prematurity seems then to be very weak, or absent. According to one study, 11% of the spontaneous abortions can be attributed to smoking, 5% to alcohol, and only 2% to coffee."

"The risk for any kind of congenital abnormalities is 3.7% in individuals who consume caffeine and 1.7% in those who do not. The difference is statistically significant."

"It has also been shown that absorption of caffeine has a vasoconstrictive effect on placental circulation. Blood flow is not modified in the umbilical fetal vein but intervillious placental blood flow is significantly diminished after absorption of 2 cups of coffee. This decrease in blood flow along with increased concentration of noradrenaline induced by caffeine in the maternal serum could represent a potential risk for the fetus."

"Caffeine diffuses through the placenta and accumulates in the brain of the fetus (3 studies) Caffeine concentration of the fetal rat is higher in the brain than in the placenta whereas the metabolites of methylxanthine are evenly distributed between brain and placenta."

"Exposure of female rats to caffeine during pregnancy (.04% in drinking water) causes proportionally greater loss in brain weight than in body weight (3 studies)."

"When pregnant rats ingest 10-20 mg/kg day caffeine, the cerebral concentrations of these various elements are lower in offspring at birth."

"Exposure to caffeine during gestation and lactation (.04% in drinking water) also induces modifications in cerebral concentrations of catecholamines, tyrosine, tryptophan, serotonin, 5-hydroxyindole acetic aid, and cyclic nucleotides in the brain of 1 - 35 day old rat (4 studies), which can cause behavioral abnormalities, such as hypoactivity, during development of the animal."

"...Thus, it seems that early caffeine exposure, even at quite low doses, is able to induce a wide variety of neurochemical changes. These deficits concern both constitutive material such as proteins, DNA and RNA, and functional material such as neurotransmitters and ions."

"Offspring of female rats exposed to 60 or 100 mg/kg caffeine in their drinking water throughout gestation have reduced learning capacities as adults in a novel environment. In an open field, these animals also spend less time grooming, playing, and touching new objects. The authors concluded that the behavioral effects induced by prenatal caffeine exposure could be related to the "hyperactive" children syndrome (Sinton, C. M. et. al., 1981)."




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Smaller Head Circumference –

Lower Birth Weight After 300 mg Caffeine Intake

Source: Neurobehavioral Toxicology and Teratology, Vol. 7:9-17, 1985

Although 300 mg of caffeine intake represents approximately 2 or 3 cups of coffee, many people don’t realize the amount of caffeine they can consume from other sources besides coffee. Most studies, such as the ones previously mentioned, look for toxic effects based on the number of cups of coffee consumed per day. However, if significant amounts of caffeine can be ingested from other sources besides coffee, this could hide the true dangers when comparing coffee drinkers with non-coffee drinkers.

In this 1983 Ottawa study at Carleton University, Canada, the researchers analyzed the total caffeine intake from all sources in 286 pregnant women. For the first trimester of their pregnancy, coffee accounted for only 56% of their total caffeine intake, tea accounted for 37% of caffeine intake, while caffeinated soft drinks, chocolate bars, chocolate drinks and caffeinated medications accounted for approximately 7% of caffeine intake. These levels maintained about the same throughout pregnancy.

Approximately 4% of the women during pregnancy consumed 100 - 300 mg of coffee daily while 4% of the group consumed over 300 mg of coffee daily.

The researchers stated,

"The most marked effect associated with heavy caffeine use (over 300 mg daily) in the present study were the reduced birth weight and the smaller head circumference that persisted after statistically controlling for other potentially contributing factors."

The mean head circumference of the infants born to the heavier caffeine users was 1.1 centimeters (cm) smaller when compared to those consuming under 300 mg of caffeine daily (33.5 cm compared with 34.6 cm, respectively). This difference was considered significant. A significant decrease of 379 grams in average birth weight was also observed in the heavier caffeine group. The average weight of infants born to the heavier caffeine users was less than women consuming little caffeine (3537 grams for the low caffeine users and 3158 for the heavy caffeine user- nearly a 400 gram difference).

In summary, the researchers stated,

"It is during the last trimester of pregnancy that the greatest spurt in fetal growth occurs. The present results suggest that daily caffeine intake of 300 mg or more can interfere with normal fetal growth... The observed, relatively small birth weight reductions may be of minor importance to a healthy full-term baby of acceptable weight but may be of major clinical significance for a preterm or small infant."

Drs. B. Watkinson and P. A. Fried
Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Maternal Caffeine Use Before, During and After Pregnancy and Effects Upon Offspring
Neurobehavioral Toxicology and Teratology, Vol. 7:9-17, 1985




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Caffeine Exposure Increases Learning Problems and Hyperactivity
in Laboratory Mice

Abstract: Dams from two strains of mice, were treated during gestation with caffeine, at doses of about 60, 80, and 100 mg/kg/day, in their drinking water. The resulting offspring were behaviorally tested over a 6 month period commencing at age 9 months. When compared with controls, mice from dams that had received caffeine demonstrated longer latencies in passive avoidance test, and differences were also noted for female offspring in activity and habituation measures. Having controlled as far as possible for post natal maternal and environmental effects, the most likely conclusion is that caffeine has a direct pharmacological action on the fetus, and should therefore be classed as a behavioral teratogen in mice.

Coffee

Although coffee is one of the most heavily researched commodities and studies have spanned decades, there is still much controversy surrounding its effects on health. Study after study is performed--often with conflicting results--and it seems there is always a new study out to discount the last one.

For example, one 2004 study found that drinking coffee disrupted short-term word recall. This was promptly followed up by research published the following year, showing that the equivalent of two cups of coffee could improve short-term memory, prioritizing information efficiently, planning new tasks, and dealing with stored information.

I wonder who paid for the latter research? Hmmm.

Should You Drink Coffee?

It appears that drinking coffee may interfere with your body's ability to keep homocysteine and cholesterol levels in check, most likely by inhibiting the action of the vitamins folate, B12 or B6. Coffee has been previously associated with increased risk of stroke and rheumatoid arthritis. Studies have also shown that caffeine in coffee can raise blood pressure and levels of stress hormones, and if consumed in large quantities it can lead to heart palpitations, jitters and nervousness.

With that said, coffee is clearly not the healthiest liquid to drink – your best choice is pure water -- but coffee is still far less dangerous than fruit juice or soda.
While I do believe that eliminating, or at the very least limiting, coffee should be one of your goals. You'll definitely want to eliminate soda and fruit juice from your beverage list first.

There are, however, some important facets of coffee that you should know before you have your next morning cup.

The Dangers of Caffeine During Pregnancy

Pregnant women should NEVER drink coffee.

Caffeine is a stimulant drug that easily passes through the placenta to your developing fetus and is also transferred through breast milk.
During pregnancy and in infants, the half-life of caffeine is increased, which means that it will stay in your body, and your infant's body, longer. Moreover, fetuses have no ability to detoxify caffeine.
Research suggests that drinking more than 300 mg of coffee daily, or the equivalent of two to three 8-ounce cups, may increase the risk of miscarriage, birth defects such as cleft palate, and low birth weight. But as I mentioned above, I don't believe that ANY amount coffee is safe when you're pregnant.
Even with moderate caffeine intake, when the woman experiences no effects, studies have found changes in both the mother's and the fetal heart rate and blood pressure. Preliminary studies also suggest that drinking four cups of coffee or more per day may put the infant at an increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
Caffeine may also make it more difficult for women to maintain necessary levels of iron and calcium, which are especially important during pregnancy.

Would you like your coffee with cream and DDT?

There Probably Are Pesticides in Your Java. Coffee also has the issue of pesticide contamination, which is particularly harmful during pregnancy.

Coffee is usually not grown in the United States and we therefore have no control over which and how many pesticides are sprayed on coffee crops. And coffee is a heavily sprayed crop, so drinking coffee is likely to expose you to a dose of pesticides with each cup.

Pesticides have been associated with a number of health problems such as:
Prostate cancer and other cancers
Parkinson's Disease
Miscarriages
Aside from any pesticide residues that make it into your brew, there's also the issue of whether buying coffees grown with the help of potentially harmful chemicals contributes to the destruction of the environment and threatens the health of poor coffee farm workers.
If you choose to drink coffee, drinking organic coffee will hopefully reduce or eliminate your exposure to toxic herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers, and would be a more environmentally conscientious choice. The only drawback is that many of the 45 countries where coffee is produced have less control and monitoring for compliance to organic practices.

Avoid Coffee if You Have Certain Health Issues

Since coffee is a stimulant it will only worsen symptoms of insomnia and anxiety, and should definitely be avoided if you're already suffering from either. People with panic or anxiety disorders may find that they are especially sensitive to caffeine and may find that even a small amount of the stimulant exacerbates their symptoms.
Similarly, the caffeine will linger in your body for hours after you drink it, so it might keep you up at night even if you drink it long before bedtime.

-Personal experience: I drank an iced coffee this month, because I was tired. I only drink coffee about once per month, if that. Well, at 1:30 pm I drank, I was fine. By 6pm I was dry heaving. I know it was from the coffee. My Lebanese friends used give me strong imported Lebanese coffee to drink because we were studying and I still had no effects from the caffeine. It was only until the past efew years that I actually developed the "normal" caffeine drug effects.

For those with high blood pressure, a general rule is that the more caffeine you drink in a day, the higher your blood pressure will be. So if you are already at the higher end of the scales, drinking coffee will only increase your blood pressure further.

Also Protein Nutritional Types do not do well with caffeine and should only consume coffee or tea in small quantities, and not in the late afternoon or evening, as it will likely keep them up. (However this can be a good thing if you are using coffee as a drug for jet lag).

How to Wean Yourself off Coffee

If you try to stop drinking coffee "cold turkey" you will likely experience symptoms of withdrawal. According to one study, the more caffeine you use, the worse your withdrawal symptoms will be. This is because even small amounts of caffeine, such as one standard cup of coffee a day, can create an addiction. For those who consume it regularly, cutting even the smallest amount of caffeine could result in a range of withdrawal symptoms such as:

Headache
Fatigue or drowsiness
Depression and irritability
Lack of concentration
Flu-like symptoms such as nausea and muscle pain

This can be avoided by cutting down the amount you drink gradually over a period of days, or even weeks. It's also important to drink plenty of water during the process in order to keep your body well hydrated.

If you find that you miss your morning coffee-drinking ritual, replace it with a new tradition that will also boost your health and energy. Vegetable juice makes a great coffee replacement. It will give you the energy boost that you're looking for in the morning without the negative effects of caffeine.

While you're in the process of weaning yourself off coffee, here are some tips to reduce the chance of harmful effects until you can completely eliminate it:

Use organic coffee. As mentioned above, coffee is a heavily sprayed crop, so drinking organic coffee might reduce or eliminate your exposure to toxic herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers. It will also help the people working in the coffee fields, as they will be exposed to fewer pesticides as well.

Try "Swiss Water Process" decaf. If you are going to drink decaffeinated coffee, be sure that it uses a non-chemical based method of decaffeination. The "Swiss Water Process" is a patented method and is the best choice. Most of the major brands are chemically decaffeinated, even if it says "naturally decaffeinated" right on the container. If you are unsure of the methods, contact the manufacturer.
Avoid sugar and milk. These are actually much worse for you than the coffee itself. Don't compound the detrimental health effects by adding milk or sugar to your coffee.

Only use unbleached filters. If you use a "drip" coffee maker, be sure to use non-bleached filters. The bright white ones, which most people use, are chlorine bleached and some of this chlorine will be extracted from the filter during the brewing process.

IQ & Thyroid Function in Pregnancy

According to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine (1999;341:549-555, 601-602), if a woman is pregnant and has an underactive thyroid, the IQ of the child may be adversely affected. Children between the ages of seven and nine, with mothers who had untreated hypothyroidism, scored an average of seven points lower on IQ tests than children with mothers that had normal thyroid function. The article goes on to say that during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy the fetus relies entirely on the mother for thyroid hormone. They thyroid may play a role in brain development.
Dr. Tang's note: ask us if natural thyroid supplements may help you.