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Caffeine is present in many beverages and foods (Table 1), crosses the placenta freely, and is not fetally metabolized.
Studies of caffeine’s effects on fetal growth have yielded mixed results. Now, in a large, prospective, observational study, 2635 low-risk pregnant women in England reported their consumption of caffeine from all sources during each trimester of pregnancy. Birth weights of their infants were recorded.
Fetal growth restriction (birth weight <10th percentile) occurred in 13% of pregnancies. Mean daily caffeine intake throughout pregnancy was 159 mg, having dropped from 238 mg daily before pregnancy to 139 mg daily between gestational weeks 5 to 12 and having risen during the second and third trimesters to 147 mg daily and 153 …