Be careful of caffeine in the womb

does the coffee consumed during pregnancy affect the fetus?
previous studies have shown that fetuses do not have the enzymes needed to break down caffeine when crossing the placenta, and this published study suggests that caffeine may also have a lasting effect on neurodevelopment.
study, neuroscientistes from the University of Rochester Medical Center scanned the brains of more than 9,000 children between the ages of 9 and 10. In the experiment, the child's mother reported caffeine intake to the researchers during pregnancy. The results showed that children exposed to caffeine in the womb did have changes in the structure of their brains, as did the trajectory and organization of the connections between their brain regions.
although these changes are minimal and do not lead to severe mental illness, the effects can be described in a minimal way, the researchers note that people should still be concerned about the long-term effects of caffeine intake in pregnant women. As this study points out, consuming any caffeine during pregnancy is not a good idea.
team followed up further on children with changes in brain structure and observed an increase in behavioral problems, such as difficulty concentrating and ADHD.
previous studies have linked these manifestations more to IQ and mental illness. For biological researchers, it is difficult to directly link these behaviors to brain structures unless there are such means as biomarkers. Zachary Christensen, the paper's first author, said.
new study is unique in that researchers have found a different biological path in the brains of children exposed to caffeine during pregnancy.
but the researchers also said it was not clear at what stage of pregnancy caffeine had an effect on brain development or the exact cycle in which those effects occurred. "Current clinical guidelines have recommended that pregnant women limit their caffeine intake to no more than 2 cups of coffee per day," says Christensen. (Source: Yuan Liu, China Science Journal)
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