Now scientists suggest women avoid coffee while pregnant because of links to AUTISM in their child

Scientists are cautioning women against drinking too much coffee during pregnancy after finding caffeine may raise the risk of autism in their child.

Rodents given a comparable amount of caffeine to what the average pregnant woman takes in had babies that showed some hallmark signs of autism.

They believe this cause is changes to brain function in the womb that cause poor communication between nerve cells, giving rise to autism symptoms.  

The cdc recommends that pregnant women limit their caffeine intake to about 200 mg/day, about two cups of coffee. 

Newborn rats who were born to caffeine-consuming parents and went on to eat high fat diet had even higher risk of autism-like symptoms 

An estimated one in 36 children in the US are diagnosed with ASD, typically around age four. The rate is a jump from one in 44 in 2021

Pregnant women are recommended to drink no more than 200 mg of caffeine per day, but most drink at least 100 mg more than that [stock]

The researchers behind the study came from Wuhan University in China. The study highlighted the risk factors that caffeine consumption and a high fat diet raise for autism diagnosis, 'emphasizing the importance of avoiding adverse environmental factors during pregnancy and after birth.'

The findings add to several studies showing that pregnant women who drink caffeine are more likely to give birth to smaller babies. 

And with some women drinking more than 300 mg of caffeine per day, the report suggests that more and more babies will show signs of autism unless pregnant women cut back.

An estimated one in 36 children in the US are diagnosed with ASD, typically around age four. The rate is a jump from one in 44 in 2021.

While it’s not known exactly how many pregnant women drink or take caffeine in some form (the compound can be found in mints and easy-to-swallow capsules), leading experts advise that they consume no more that 200 mg/day, about two cups of coffee.

But the new study by researchers at Wuhan University said the average pregnant woman drinks between 200mg/day to 500 mg/day, between two and four cups.

It was conducted in rats, a major caveat.

The set out to investigate how a diet high in fatty and processed foods after birth combined with caffeine in utero would lead to autism symptoms. 

They broke the pregnant rats into two groups - one exposed to the equivalent to a cup and a half and one group who was a placebo.

Behavioral tests were conducted to identify ASD-like behaviors in the offspring including social interaction tests and memory challenges. 

They also conducted physiological tests to determine the microbiome makeup and brain activity. 

Coffee during pregnancy can knock inch off child's height 

US minors born to women who consumed 50mg of caffeine each day were 2cm (0.8in) smaller than their peers by the age of eight. The finding remained even after adjusting for other factors. 

Rats exposed to caffeine in the womb were more likely to show signs of autism, such as social dysfunction and poor spacial reasoning, after they were born. 

Caffeine is thought to disrupt developmental progress while a high fact diety raises inflammation and gut bacteria imbalances, both of which are believed to raise the odds of a child exhibiting signs of autism. 

Then, after birth, the offspring were divided into groups based on their diet, with some receiving a standard diet and others receiving a high-fat diet that many Americans follow.

This classification enabled the researchers to examine how both prenatal caffeine exposure and postnatal dietary patterns together influenced the probability of exhibiting behaviors resembling autism.

Caffeine is a stimulant that can raise one’s blood pressure.  In the fetal brain, caffeine may interfere with the normal development of neural circuits and neurotransmitter systems, which are crucial for various cognitive and behavioral functions.

Even a minimal intake of caffeine during pregnancy can disrupt your baby's sleep and movement patterns in the later stages of gestation. 

It's important to note that because caffeine acts as a stimulant, it could potentially affect both your and your baby's ability to sleep.

Dr Dan Xu, study author and pharmaceutical sciences professor at Wuhan University, said: ‘We found that male rats exposed to adverse prenatal environments exhibited autistic behaviors, but both male and female rats showed typical autism behaviors after being fed a high-fat diet post-birth.

‘This suggests that attention should also be given to female offspring exposed to adverse prenatal environments.’

The change to the gut microbiome was associated with a process where a specific immune cell underwent changes to its functioning, leading to higher levels of a compound well known for its inflammation-causing properties in the body.

This inflammatory compound can reach the brain and damage important connections between brain cells. 

Researchers said: ‘These findings suggest that gut microbiota may be a potential target for the prevention and treatment of ASD in the future.’

The effects were most noticeable in male rats, suggesting that a similar difference could be seen in human babies.

The latest findings were published in the journal Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety.