Fetus caffeine, effects

A combination of 150 mg/kg caffeine administered by injection to pregnant rats in conjunction with a single dose of 9,756 mg/kg DEHP on day 12 of gestation caused a 5-fold increase in the number of dead and resorbed fetuses and nearly a 4-fold increase in the malformed survivors as compared to the effects of DEHP alone (Ritter et al. 1987). The mean fetal weight was also depressed. The addition of the caffeine to the treatment using equimolar quantities of 2-ethylhexanol and 2-ethylhexanoic acid at doses half of the molar quantity used for DEHP resulted in 2-30-fold increases in the dead and malformed fetuses and malformed survivors, but only minor decreases in the fetal weights. 

Concern about the possible harmful effects of caffeine on the outcome of pregnancy has evolved mainly from studies of animals which have shown a reduction in intrauterine fetal growth. However, the implications of these data for men are unclear, because of the differences in mode of exposure to caffeine, the amounts consumed, and caffeine metabolism. The possible effects of caffeine intake on the human fetus have been reviewed (SEDA-7, 8) the conclusion was that the scientific data currently available could not answer the question. In an analysis of interview and medical record data in 12 205 non-asthmatic women to evaluate the relation between coffee consumption and adverse outcomes in pregnancy, the findings were negative. 

There may be some adverse effects due to excessive caffeine intake, such as restlessness, headaches, heart palpitations, heartburn, and insomnia. Some individuals may have a toxic reaction to it. Ingestion by pregnant women and nursing mothers may have adverse effects on fetuses and babies caffeine crosses the placenta and gets into breast milk. Caffeine has a wide margin of safety. A lethal dose for most people would be the amount of caffeine found in about one hundred cups of coffee. 

No teratogenic or other adverse effects were found in fetuses of rats administered up to 100 mg/kg daily by gavage of bitter orange concentrated extract (6% synephrine). In combination with caffeine (25 mg/kg), however, a decrease in the number of implanted eggs was observed (Hansen et al. 2006). 

Studies of caffeine have indicated no adverse effects on pregnancy or fetal development at levels equivalent to three to four cups daily. At much higher doses (equivalent to 21 cups of coffee or more daily), no adverse effects on the fetus have been observed (Christian and Brent 2001). 

Besides coffee and cola drinks, other sources of caffeine are tea, chocolate, and cocoa. Caffeine is a mild stimulant of the respiratory and central nervous systems, the reason for its well-known side effects of nervousness and insomnia. These characteristics, together with its behavior as a mild diuretic, account for the use of caffeine in a wide variety of products, including pain relievers, cold remedies, diet pills, and stay-awake pills (No-Doz ). Because caffeine is considered to be a drug, pregnant women should be prudent about how much caffeine they consume. Like most other drugs, caffeine enters the bloodstream, crosses the placental barrier, and reaches the fetus. 

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