(May10,2012)

A baby’s sleep may not suffer just because its mother likes a daily cup or two of coffee, according to a Brazilian study based on nearly 900 new mothers.

Studies over the years have come to mixed conclusions on whether caffeine during pregnancy was linked to increased risk of miscarriage or premature birth, but more recent studies have failed to show any heightened risk.

The findings by Federal University of Pelotas, in Brazil, do not endorse heavy caffeine intake during pregnancy or breastfeeding, experts said, but are in line with research suggesting modest amounts may not pose a danger.

“Caffeine consumption during pregnancy and by nursing mothers seems not to have consequences on sleep of infants at the age of 3 months,” wrote Santos and her colleagues.

The team interviewed 885 new mothers about caffeine intake and infants’ sleep habits at the age of 3 months.

All but one said they drank caffeinated beverages during pregnancy. About 20 percent were considered heavy consumers of at least 300 milligrams(1,000mg =1g) a day. Just over 14 percent reported a heavy caffeine intake three months after giving birth.

Overall, the researchers found no clear link between caffeine intake and the likelihood of reporting infant sleep problems.

Almost 15 percent of mothers said their 3-month-old woke up more than three times each night, which was considered “frequent.” But the odds were not statistically greater for the mothers who were heavy caffeine consumers.

That is the case for healthy, full-term babies, at least. But preterm infants and newborns metabolise caffeine more slowly and may be more sensitive to the small amount of caffeine that passes into breast milk. And studies suggest that high amounts of caffeine during breastfeeding — “much higher” than 300 mg a day — are related to fussiness and poor sleep in babies.

(source: China Daily)