Caffeine Is Comparable To Smoking While Pregnant

We have all debated about smoking during pregnancy... Recent studies about caffeine intake while pregnant seems to be comparable to the dangers of smoking. (I'm not saying either is worse, simply that you could justly compare one to the other). This is for all those women who say (how can you compare my cup of coffee to her ciggerette)?

Coffee is one of the most studied products in the world. Caffeine’s effect on pregnancy has been extensively researched.

Caffeine Affects Fetal Development
Drinking caffeinated beverages during pregnancy can affect the development of the fetus. One of these effects is lower infant birth weight. Low infant birth weight is associated with an increased risk of birth defects and infant mortality. Infants born to women who consumed caffeine while pregnant have also been shown to sleep less and exhibit irritability, jitteriness and vomiting, due to caffeine withdrawal after birth.

The amount of time caffeine stays in the blood stream is tripled in the last two trimesters of pregnancy, which further intensifies the experience of infants’ caffeine withdrawal after birth. Drinking coffee during pregnancy is also shown to increase fetal breathing rates; this effect is seen even with consumption of decaffeinated coffee. It is recommended to eliminate caffeine during pregnancy to ensure optimal health for your baby.

Researchers looked at 1,063 pregnant Kaiser Permanente members in San Francisco from October 1996 through October 1998, examined the caffeine effect among women who never changed their pattern of caffeine consumption during their pregnancy. They found:

• Women who consumed 200 mg or more of caffeine per day (two or more cups of regular coffee or five 12-ounce cans of caffeinated soda) had twice the miscarriage risk as women who consumed no caffeine.
• Women who consumed less than 200 mg of caffeine daily had more than 40 percent increased risk of miscarriage.
• Women who were nonsmokers and who had no history of a miscarriage experienced higher risks for miscarriage associated with caffeine consumption

Wait... Why would consuming less than 200 mg increase your risk by 40%? and compared to what?
No intake.. intake less than a certain amount?

Well I didnt smoke or drink soda

I'm sure there are a million things that aren't necessarily good for our unborn babies.

I don't drink caffeine though.

Quoting Jess ♥ Orion:“ Wait... Why would consuming less than 200 mg increase your risk by 40%? and compared to what? No intake.. intake less than a certain amount?”

no intake.

Quoting Jess ♥ Orion:“ Wait... Why would consuming less than 200 mg increase your risk by 40%? and compared to what? No intake.. intake less than a certain amount?”

Also.. i'm just confused.
One says increased by 40% and another just says 2x.

And it seems like taking in less than 200 mg puts you more at risk than taking in more than 200 mg? Or am i reading this wrong?

Yeah, and quitting cold turkey on either one is just as bad for the baby because of the withdrawl our bodies go through.

I still drink caffeine but have cut WAY the hell down. I used to drink a 2 liter every two days by myself. Now I have a 16oz soda once every couple of days.

I was caffeine free for my first 4 pregnancies. With this one I'll admit to an occasional cup of soda (like once a week). Do you have any stats as to what that risk is?

Quoting MommyRu:“ We have all debated about smoking during pregnancy... Recent studies about caffeine intake while pregnant ... [snip!] ... and who had no history of a miscarriage experienced higher risks for miscarriage associated with caffeine consumption”

5 cans of soda? that's a no brainer that is has got to be bad lol.....

I am addicted to caffeine, but I have no more than 1 soda a day, or 1 cup of coffee... my mind is still up in the air on whether or not caffeine is truly bad because there are conflicting studies, but reading things like this does make me consider quitting, the headaches are just unbearable though lol... i will have to research it more..

I didn't read this whole thing. But there is always gonna be something that we are doing wrong. I didn't touch caffeine at all w/ my first two and well w/ the 3rd, I loved the occasional starbucks and she came out just fine. BTW y'all do know that chocolate has caffeine as well right? w/ my 3rd, I had to have my daily caramello and yoo-hoo.

...And it depends on the study done. The March of Dimes says this:

http://www.marchofdimes.com/professionals/14332_1148.asp

Does caffeine consumption contribute to miscarriage?
There have been many studies on caffeine consumption and miscarriage, but the results have been conflicting. For example, two studies came out in January 2008.

• 
  One found that women who consume 200 mg or more of caffeine daily are twice as likely to have a miscarriage as women who consume no caffeine (25 percent vs. 12.5 percent) (1).
• 
  The other found no increased risk among women who drank modest amounts of coffee daily (between about 200 mg/day and 350 mg/day) (4).

Earlier studies found that only women who consume large amounts of caffeine (500 mg a day or more) are more likely to miscarry (5, 6). Until more is known about the risks of caffeine consumption in pregnancy, the March of Dimes recommends a cautious approach: Pregnant women should limit caffeine consumption to less than 200 mg a day.
A 2003 Danish study suggested that women who drink four or more cups of coffee a day may be at increased risk of having a stillborn baby (7). Women who drank eight or more cups a day had a 3 times higher risk of stillbirth than women who drank no coffee.

Quoting Talvari:“ ...And it depends on the study done. The March of Dimes says this: http://www.marchofdimes.com/professionals/14332_1148.asp ... [snip!] ... baby (7). Women who drank eight or more cups a day had a 3 times higher risk of stillbirth than women who drank no coffee.”

moderation is key!

Quoting Talvari:“ ...And it depends on the study done. The March of Dimes says this: http://www.marchofdimes.com/professionals/14332_1148.asp ... [snip!] ... baby (7). Women who drank eight or more cups a day had a 3 times higher risk of stillbirth than women who drank no coffee.”

There are tons of studies, yes... however, all of which say that caffeine consumption may increase the risk of miscarraige, low birth weight, still births, withdrawl after birth and so on.... same with smoking! I'm trying to prove a point  

MANY babies have been born from mothers who consumed caffeine and turned out fine.... same goes for babies born from mothers who smoked.

Quoting Erica (Jacob's mommy!):“ moderation is key!”

But other studies show that even moderation is dangerous... do you pick and choose what study you like better? Is it a "better" risk to take than smoking one ciggie a day?

Quoting MommyRu:“ There are tons of studies, yes... however, all of which say that caffeine consumption may increase ... [snip!] ... born from mothers who consumed caffeine and turned out fine.... same goes for babies born from mothers who smoked. ”

So you're trying to defend smoking by comparing it to caffeine?