New study finds caffeine doubles risk of miscarriage

[Anonymous]

This was in the Post yesterday. New study found that 2 five-ounce cups of coffee a day doubles the risk of miscarriage. I thought this was timely given the discussion lately between the all-in-moderation camp and the conservative camp when it comes to what you can and can't do while pregnant.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080121/hl_nm/miscarriage_caffeine_dc

[Anonymous]

I'm 8 weeks and have been drinking tons of coffee, all is ok.

[Anonymous]

Like the study says, it increases the risk, doesn't guarantee it. So I'm sure there is plenty of anecdotal evidence otherwise, which doesn't mean much. But seriously, have you talked to you OB about that? Even the "all-in-moderation" camp doesn't include "tons" of coffee.

[Anonymous]

Has anyone been able to find details of the study? Like it doubles the risk in the first trimester or was it all trimesters....the press around the study seems to be a bit sensationalized. Although I do admit my bias...I love my coffee (and I am moderate in my consumption - just 1 cup a day).

[Anonymous]

to the PP "drinking tons of coffee"....

what you really mean is that you haven't miscarried at 8 weeks, right? You certainly can not be sure of the effects that "tons of coffee" are having on your unborn child. As another PP said even those of us in the moderation camp generally do not digest lots of caffeine. Why would one want to subject my baby's growing heart and nervous system to bouts of caffeine which speed those systems up?

My point is that at 8 weeks in your womb you truly can not be sure that "all is ok"...you simply know a baby is still there.

[Anonymous]

Ten years ago my OB advised me not to drink more than one cup of coffee a day, and no alcohol. (And she wanted me to call her first before taking any over-the-counter meds.) I wonder if it was just a hunch she had about the coffee, or if there was something known even at that time. Sometimes it takes a long time to get scientific proof of evidence that shows up only anecdotally at first.

[Anonymous]

This is ONE study that says caffeine increases risk of miscarriage, and the press takes off with it and, yes, sensationalizes it. I am not one advocating drinking 'tons of coffee' but I did drink a cup of coffee a day during pregnancy. I'd like to see more data, more studies done before everyone jumps on the bandwagon and says no to coffee while pregnant.

[Anonymous]

I think there have been numerous studies linking caffeine consumption to miscarriage. But I believe they haven't been conclusive for a number of reasons. Thus, OBs generally recommend no more than one a day. But it's not just coffee, it's all caffeine. So if you drink a cup of coffee a day, you need to also consider other caffeine sources (ice-tea, chocolate).

[Anonymous]

Sheesh, I have two cups of coffee and green tea. Calm down.

[Anonymous]

And the risk in Asian countries where tea is consumed is higher too?

[Anonymous]

Haven't we all learned by now that EVERYTHING will kill you? All press these days is about fear-mongering and nothing more.

My midwife (who I think is very conservative) said that one serving of caffeine per day was fine. She added that she was much more concerned about all the fake sugar out there (aspartame, saccharin, etc.) and that I should steer clear of those no matter what.

[Anonymous]

There's no data showing if it extrapolated down (eg., if one cup is less of a risk by half, eliminates it, etc.).

And since I believe 40% of all pregnancies are naturally miscarried (isn't that the stat?), how that fits into the equation, I have no idea, nor do they, I'm sure.

And yes, the media won't answer anything that doesn't fit into a 6-word sensational headline, so don't expect any clarification anytime soon from there.

So, to reiterate: tons of anything = bad. Stuff in moderation = fine.

[Anonymous]

See also the NY Times article.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/21/health/21caffeine.html?ex=1201582800&en=e0805ff176a6e095&ei=5070&emc=eta1

In case you don't feel like reading all the way to the bottom, here's my favorite part:

Dr. Carolyn Westhoff, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology, and epidemiology, at Columbia University Medical Center, had reservations about the study, noting that miscarriage is difficult to study or explain. Dr. Westhoff said most miscarriages resulted from chromosomal abnormalities, and there was no evidence that caffeine could cause those problems.

“Just interviewing women, over half of whom had already had their miscarriage, does not strike me as the best way to get at the real scientific question here,” she said. “But it is an excellent way to scare women.”

She said that smoking, chlamidial infections and increasing maternal age were stronger risk factors for miscarriage, and ones that women could do something about.

“Moderation in all things is still an excellent rule,” Dr. Westhoff said. “I think we tend to go overboard on saying expose your body to zero anything when pregnant. The human race wouldn’t have succeeded if the early pregnancy was so vulnerable to a little bit of anything. We’re more robust than that.”

[Anonymous]

You can also read more about it in my new book, "Dr. Carolyn Westhoff, The Coolest as a Cuke Doctor In The Known Universe."

[Anonymous]

Cuke?