Coffee consumption by pregnant women could negatively impact the development of the child, according to a new study published in JAMA Network Open. What happens is that the child has more chances to not develop to a certain height compared to those whose mothers didn’t consume caffeine at all.
The problem in height applies to the children in question between the ages of 4 and 8 years old. Dr. Jessica Gleason, the lead author of the study and also a perinatal epidemiologist, admits that the height issue is not a concerning one. She stated as CNN quotes:
To be clear, these are not huge differences in height, but there are these small differences in height among the children of people who consumed caffeine during pregnancy.
Even small amounts of coffee were found to impact the newborn’s height. However, more info is needed to say for sure if the new research shows a causation between the coffee consumption of pregnant women and the height of children.
Dr. Gavin Pereira, who is a professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at Curtin University in Australia, declared in a statement for Science Media Centre:
The correlation observed in this study can be explained by the existence of a common cause of both caffeine consumption and growth restriction e.g., poverty, stress, and dietary factors.
Otherwise, perhaps nobody can deny the benefits that coffee consumption can have for the human body: fewer chances of developing Parkinson, a better procession of glucose, a stronger DNA, and more.
Back in September, our publication shared a piece of news claiming that coffee consumption might even prolong a person’s lifespan.
Did you know that astronauts have a special cup so they can drink coffee in space?
