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Review
. 2023 Nov 4;15(11):e48266.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.48266. eCollection 2023 Nov.

Maternal Caffeine Consumption and Its Impact on the Fetus: A Review

Hunter Lakin  1 , Patrick Sheehan  2 , Varun Soti  3
Affiliations
Review

Maternal Caffeine Consumption and Its Impact on the Fetus: A Review

Hunter Lakin et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Maintaining a healthy diet is essential for pregnant women and their developing fetuses, including being mindful of caffeine consumption. While consuming caffeine during pregnancy is generally safe, there is a concern among healthcare practitioners about whether it can adversely impact pregnancy. There is a lack of accurate information about the effects of caffeine on fetal development and inadequate education on the risks of excessive caffeine intake during pregnancy. Therefore, to address this gap, our review provides an overview of the current literature on the impact of caffeine consumption during pregnancy on fetal development. We thoroughly searched databases, including PubMed and Clinicatrial.gov, from September 2022 to January 2023, focusing on relevant clinical studies with a level of clinical evidence II or higher. Our findings reveal that caffeine intake during pregnancy has notable effects on human fetal development. It increases fetal breathing and heart rates but can lead to reduced growth and a lower birth weight. Although it does not affect gestational length or cause hypertension, caffeine increases uterine contractions, potentially resulting in spontaneous abortion. In some cases, it even contributes to the development of pre-eclampsia in the later stages of pregnancy. However, the data on the association between caffeine consumption and the risk of congenital disabilities remains inconclusive. Based on these findings, it is clear that more extensive research is needed to fully understand the impact of caffeine consumption on the development of congenital disabilities in infants born to caffeine-consuming pregnant women. Furthermore, gaining a deeper understanding of how caffeine affects fetal development and pregnancy mechanisms is crucial.

Keywords: birth weight; caffeine consumption; fetal breathing rate; fetal heart rate; pregnancy-related issues.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Literature search and study selection
The diagram displays the steps involved in searching the literature and selecting studies. We conducted a thorough literature search using PubMed and ClinicalTrials.gov, following the guidelines outlined by PRISMA. Our focus was on clinical studies examining the effects of maternal caffeine consumption during pregnancy on fetal development and pregnancy outcomes.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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