High Caffeine Intake May Cause Miscarriage

Put that coffee down if you are trying to get pregnant!

A study published in the online edition of the Fertility and Sterility journal states that higher caffeine intake may lead to early loss of pregnancy. The main objective of the study was to find and analyze the factors that may affect conception and pregnancy loss.

"There's something about drinking caffeinated beverages that is associated with pregnancy loss," said Germaine Buck Louis of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and lead author of the study.

Around 344 couples from 16 counties in the states of Texas and Michigan were included in the Longitudinal Investigation of Fertility and the Environment (LIFE) study. Out of these total 344 pregnancies, 98 of them, or 28 percent, suffered a miscarriage. The loss during the preconception period was linked with women who are 35 or older. The study also found that couples who suffered miscarriages consumed more than two cups of caffeinated drinks per day.

According to a report by NBC News, not only does high caffeine intake contribute to pregnancy loss but men's eating and drinking habits could affect fertility too. The study states that men and women who intake three or more caffeinated drinks (such as sodas, coffee and energy drinks) a day before the gestation period are 74 percent more likely to go through an early pregnancy loss.

On a positive note, the study also found that taking multivitamins in the preconception period can reduce the chances of miscarriage by 55 percent. Women taking multivitamins on a daily basis have 79 percent more chances of stopping a miscarriage.

The study couples in the study were asked to list down all caffeinated and alcoholic drinks and fish they consumed. Urine, blood and saliva tests were conducted regularly on the subjects of the test. Women of the study underwent regular pregnancy test as well.