A study conducted by Japanese scientists from Hokkaido University found that drinking coffee during pregnancy, even in moderation, can affect a baby’s ability to crawl or walk at the age of one year.
According to the scientific journal Early Human Development, the team analyzed data from 87,106 mothers in a nationwide study in Japan. Experts studied the frequency of women’s caffeine intake during pregnancy, as well as the motor skills of the six- and 12-year-old.
The analysis showed that babies born to mothers who consumed more than 300 milligrams of caffeine per day, the equivalent of three cups of instant coffee, had a low risk of delayed motor development at six months, but at 12 months this rate increased dramatically. It was 1.11 times higher.
The researchers believe that the data obtained on the motor development of six-month-old children should be interpreted with caution, since at this age the assessment of the motor skills of the child is more difficult.
“The results of this study indicated that the developmental adverse effects of maternal caffeine use during pregnancy were rarely observed at six months of age and that there was an association in reduced risk of developmental delay,” the study says. “However, at 12 months of age, all the low-risk associations seen at six months of age had disappeared.”
Scientists hope that although the reason for this association is not yet clear, the findings will encourage pregnant women to reduce their caffeine intake.
According to the study, the researchers will conduct additional studies to track the dynamics of gross motor developmental delay, which was recorded at the age of 12 months and caused by the mother’s consumption of caffeine, as the children get older.
Study: Too much coffee during pregnancy delays baby’s growth
