Intended for healthcare professionals

Rapid response to:

Papers

Maternal consumption of coffee during pregnancy and stillbirth and infant death in first year of life: prospective study

BMJ 2003; 326 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.326.7386.420 (Published 22 February 2003) Cite this as: BMJ 2003;326:420

Rapid Response:

Moderation rather than abstinence in pregnancy

Editor- Wisborg et al’s study on maternal caffeine intake and
stillbirth and infant mortality (1) has created interest from the British
press appearing this evening on ITN News.(2)

However, this study though prospective does not follow caffeine
consumption through to delivery or stillbirth, instead it was only looked
at 16 weeks gestation when the booking visit would occur. This does not
prove exposure to caffeine was throughout pregnancy. The results show that
the 95% confidence interval in some cases incorporated 1.0 or a figure
less than this and there is the added factor respondent recall bias that
the authors note would affect data from a questionnaire study like this
one. Some results from this study would suggest that a moderate intake of
caffeine reduced stillbirth and infant death. So is there a clinically
significant difference?

Previous studies have found association with lowered birth weight and
smaller head circumference but no association with miscarriages or
premature births.(3) Perhaps the advice of moderation in pregnancy rather
than abstinence is a more palatable strategy for pregnant women from the
advice of this study.

Arpan Dutta, 4th Year Medical Student, Warrington Hospital, North
Cheshire Hospitals NHS Trust, Lovely Lane, Warrington, Cheshire, WA5 1QG

md0u9146@liv.ac.uk

1. Wisborg K, Kesmodel U, Bech BH, Hedegaard M, Henriksen TB.
Maternal consumption of coffee during pregnancy and stillbirth and infant
death in first year of life: prospective study BMJ 2003;326:420

2. Coffee warning to mums-to-be. ITN (ITV) News, 21 Feb 2003

3. Watkinson B, Fried PA. Maternal caffeine use before, during and
after pregnancy and effects upon offspring. Neurobehav Toxicol Teratol
1985; 7: 9-17

Competing interests:  
None declared

Competing interests: No competing interests

22 February 2003
Arpan Dutta
4th Year Medical Student
Warrington Hospital, North Cheshire Hospitals NHS Trust, Lovely Lane, Warrington, Cheshire, WA5 1QG