Maternal Caffeine Consumption and Small for Gestational Age Births: Results from a Population-Based Case–Control Study

Abstract

Caffeine is consumed in various forms during pregnancy, has increased half-life during pregnancy and crosses the placental barrier. Small for gestational age (SGA) is an important perinatal outcome and has been associated with long term complications. We examined the association between maternal caffeine intake and SGA using National Birth Defects Prevention Study data. Non-malformed live born infants with an estimated date of delivery from 1997–2007 (n = 7,943) were included in this analysis. Maternal caffeine exposure was examined as total caffeine intake and individual caffeinated beverage type (coffee, tea, and soda); sex-, race/ethnic-, and parity-specific growth curves were constructed to estimate SGA births. Crude and adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95 % confidence intervals were estimated using unconditional logistic regression. Interaction with caffeine exposures was assessed for maternal smoking, vasoconstrictor medication use, and folic acid. Six hundred forty-eight infants (8.2 %) were found to be SGA in this analysis. Increasing aORs were observed for increasing intakes of total caffeine and for each caffeinated beverage with aORs (adjusting for maternal education, high blood pressure, and smoking) ranging from 1.3 to 2.1 for the highest intake categories (300+ mg/day total caffeine and 3+ servings/day for each beverage type). Little indication of additive interaction by maternal smoking, vasoconstrictor medication use, or folic acid intake was observed. We observed an increase in SGA births for mothers with higher caffeine intake, particularly for those consuming 300+ mg of caffeine per day. Increased aORs were also observed for tea intake but were more attenuated for coffee and soda intake.

A spectrum project: preterm birth and small-for-gestational age among infants with birth defects

“…12,14 Maternal exposure to tobacco increases the risk of some BDs and prematurity and SGA. 41,42 Poor fetal growth increases the morbidity and mortality of infants with BDs. 43 The outcomes and survival of infants with CHDs is significantly worse for those born preterm, particularly at earlier gestational ages.…”

Prenatal Caffeine Exposure and Child IQ at Age 5.5 Years: The EDEN Mother-Child Cohort

“…Indeed, epidemiological studies have reported mixed findings by showing inconsistent adverse effects associated with high prenatal caffeine intake (e.g. miscarriage; stillbirth; teratogenicity; low birth weight; prematurity) (6,(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13), but also potential benefits of moderate prenatal caffeine intake on the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (14). Of note, cognitive development in children has received little attention and only a few underpowered studies are available (15).…”

Tea consumption in pregnancy as a predictor of pesticide exposure and adverse birth outcomes: The MIREC Study

“…To our knowledge, this is a novel examination of tea intake and pesticide exposure in a pregnancy cohort. Further, as there are other constituents and potential contaminants in tea, we aimed to determine if drinking tea was associated with adverse birth outcomes, including PTB and SGA, as has been reported in some studies (Okubo et al, 2015;Hoyt et al, 2014;Sengpiel et al, 2013).…”