News: More evidence linking caffeine to miscarriage

Caffeine intake increases the risk of miscarriage, particularly among women with no prior history of the condition, according to a study published online in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Xiaoping Weng, PhD, and colleagues at Kaiser Permanente in Oakland, CA., conducted a study of 1,063 pregnant women, of whom 635 (60%) reported intake of up to 200 mg of caffeine per day and 164 (15%) consumed at least 200 mg a day. In all, 264 women (25%) said they did not consume any caffeinated beverages at all during pregnancy. A number of risk factors were positively associated with caffeine intake, including age of 35 years or older, prior miscarriage, tobacco and alcohol consumption, and Jacuzzi use during pregnancy.

Miscarriage affected 172 women (16.2%), and the highest-level consumers of caffeine were more at risk of miscarriage: 15% for those who consumed up to 200 mg per day versus 12% for those who did not consume caffeine and 25% for those who consumed more than 200 mg per day.

Weng X, Odouli R, Li DK. Maternal caffeine consumption during pregnancy and the risk of miscarriage: a prospective cohort study. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2008;198:279.e1-279.e8.