Moderate prenatal caffeine exposure does not impair neonatal health, although it is associated with the child being born small for gestational age which can itself affect neonatal health

In February 2019 researchers from Sweden, Italy and Norway published the results of their study to assess the association between prenatal caffeine exposure and neonatal health. A total of 67,569 full-term mother-infant pairs were involved in the study. Information on caffeine consumption from different sources was self-reported in gestational week 22. Results showed that caffeine exposure was associated with being born small for gestational age and that it was this which was significantly associated with neonatal health. However, prenatal caffeine exposure itself was not associated with neonatal morbidity/mortality nor neonatal intervention being required.

Modzelewska D et al. Caffeine exposure during pregnancy, small for gestational age birth and neonatal outcome – results from the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2019 Feb 26;19(1):80

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