The right amount of caffeine has nothing to do with the health risks of pregnant women, but it is related to the weight of the baby

Researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and the National Institutes of Health say that the good news for pregnant coffee lovers is that a small amount of caffeine during pregnancy can help reduce the risk of gestational diabetes.

"Although we cannot study the relationship between caffeine intake exceeding the recommended upper limit, we now know that low to moderate caffeine is not associated with an increased risk of pregnant women with gestational diabetes, preeclampsia or high blood pressure

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends that pregnant women limit their daily caffeine intake to less than 200 mg (approximately 2 or 6 ounce cups)

To better understand this association, the researchers studied prospective data from 2,529 pregnant women who participated in the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) in 12 clinical centers in the United States between 2009 and 2013.

During registration and each subsequent visit, women reported their weekly intake of caffeinated coffee, caffeinated tea, soda and energy drinks

The research team found that the consumption of caffeinated beverages between 10 and 13 weeks of pregnancy was not associated with the risk of gestational diabetes

The researchers pointed out that these findings are consistent with the results of previous studies, which found that caffeine is related to improving energy balance and reducing fat mass

However, according to Hinkle, the team’s past research has shown that caffeine intake during pregnancy, even if it is lower than the recommended amount of 200 mg per day, is related to the small measurement of the newborn’s body shape

She said: “Women who do not drink alcohol are not recommended to start drinking caffeinated beverages in order to reduce the risk of gestational diabetes

Assessment of Caffeine Consumption and Maternal Cardiometabolic Pregnancy Complications