International guidelines recommend people limit how much coffee they drink during pregnancy. Consuming caffeine – a stimulant – while pregnant has been linked to how the baby’s brain develops. Some studies have shown increased coffee consumption during pregnancy is associated with the child having neurodevelopmental difficulties. These may include traits linked to attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), such as difficulties with language, motor skills, attention, hyperactivity and impulsive behaviour. But is coffee the cause? Our new research aimed to clear up the sometimes confusing advice about drinking coffee during pregnancy. We studied tens of thousands of pregnant women over two decades.…
Author: Gunn-Helen Moen, Post-doctoral research fellow in genetic epidemiology, The University of Queensland
