Study: Coffee during pregnancy not a bad choice
By Huffington Post
Pregnant women are typically told to avoid caffeine. One cup of coffee per day is okay, multiple studies have found, but generally it’s in the same category as cocktails and soft cheese — bad for baby’s development. However, researchers in Amsterdam recently concluded that there is no link between caffeine intake during pregnancy and a child’s behavior later in life; they say a cup of Joe might wire mom for the day, but it won’t cause her child to become hyperactive.
Participants in the study (3,400 mothers) were asked how much coffee they consumed during pregnancy. When their children turned 5 or 6, the same women filled out questionnaires about their kids’ behavioral health -– teachers completed an identical survey. The authors concluded that mothers who drank caffeine during pregnancy did not put their kids at risk for “hyperactivity/inattention problems, emotional symptoms, conduct problems, peer relationship problems, overall problem behavior, or suboptimal prosocial behavior.”