More than 2 cups of coffee 'can lead to underweight babies'

Moms-to-be, beware! Ensure that you don't down more than two small cups of coffee a day, for a study has claimed that taking too much caffeine in pregnancy could lead to underweight babies.
Researchers in Britain have carried out the study and found that women with a caffeine intake of more than 200 mg a day are more likely to give birth to smaller babies who are prone to die early or suffer developmental problems.

They have based their findings on a survey of 2,500 pregnant women who were given questionnaires asking them about their daily caffeine intake, leading newspaper the 'Daily Mail' reported.



The answers were then compared with the birth weight of the baby, taking into account the weight as well as ethnic background of the mother.

The study, by Leeds and Leicester universities, found that moms-to-be who drank more than two small cups of coffee are likely to give birth to underweight babies -- the findings are to be published in the 'British Medical Journal'.

The new research came just months after a US team carried out a nationwide study and found that drinking more than 200 mg of coffee a day during pregnancy doubled a woman's risk of miscarriage.

However, Pat O'Brien of Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists said women should abstain from caffeine in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. "This is a very vulnerable time for the baby, and it's when most miscarriages occur."