Despite how common a miscarriage can be … experiencing one
for yourself can be a time filled with sadness and guilt. While the majority of
miscarriages are either unexplained or caused by chromosomal abnormalities and
therefore are not preventable … women and their families want to know what they
can do to lessen their risk of miscarriage.
There are several risk factors associated with miscarriage
that have scientifically studied. Women over thirty five begin to see
significant increases of miscarriage and birth defects when they become
pregnant. While tobacco use has known associations with low birth weight in
babies … women who smoke more than ten cigarettes per day triple their risk of
losing their baby during pregnancy. Cocaine use and moderate to high levels of
alcohol consumptions can also lead to higher rates of miscarriage and the American
Academy of Pediatrics currently
recommends that expectant mothers stay away from any alcohol consumption during
their pregnancy. One substance that has been a bit of a mystery is caffeine.
Since caffeine is present in so many safe consumer products
... many pregnant women don’t think twice about having a soda or a cup of
coffee. However … even before this weeks new study on caffeine in pregnancy …
there have been researchers concerned about its effects and studies that have
shown drinking four or more cups or coffee per day can increase the risk of
miscarriage.
Looking closely at the study published on Monday …
researchers concluded that consuming at little as two hundred milligrams or ten
ounces per day of coffee can increase miscarriage risk. There are … however …
critics of this study who point to the imperfections of the study design and
are hesitant to fully embrace its recommendations. Also … the American
College of Obstetrics and
Gynecology as well as the American Society for Reproductive Medicine has not
taken official positions on caffeine during pregnancy.
For women who are pregnant or trying to get pregnant … the
best advice is to eat a well-balanced diet … take prenatal vitamins with folic
acid … and try to limit consumption of any other chemicals that may affect your
pregnancy … including caffeine.
