Does drinking tea during pregnancy affect the foetus?

Questions surrounding caffeine intake and risk of miscarriage and health ofthe foetus continue to be raised by pregnant women.

A study published in the journal of American Medical Association found noevidence that moderate caffeine use increases the risk of spontaneousabortions, growth retention or account for other factors. Another seven-yearepidemiological study on 1,500 women examined the effect of caffeine, duringpregnancy as well as on subsequent child development.

Caffeine consumption equivalent to approximately 3 ? to 5 cups of tea perday had no effect on birth weight, birth length and head circumference ofthe baby. A follow-up examinations at age's eight months, four and sevenyears also revealed no effect of caffeine consumption on the child's motordevelopment or intelligence.

A number of factors influence the metabolism of caffeine and the individual's response to caffeine indigestion. These include pregnancy, age, sex, bodyweight, diet, exercise, and stress smoking and alcohol consumption.

Pregnancy hampers caffeine metabolism. For example, in non pregnant womenthe break-down of half of the caffeine takes an average of 2.5 - 4.5 hours,7 hours during mid-pregnancy and 10.5 during the last few weeks ofpregnancy. As caffeine retention is longer during pregnancy, women sensitiveto caffeine may be affected. As a result a moderate consumption ofapproximately 3-4 cups a day, is recommended for women during pregnancy.http://www.dilmahtea.com/Faq/faq.html

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