Changes in caffeine consumption as a signal of pregnancy
Abstract
Objectives The purpose of this prospective study was to examine caffeine consumption and other signals of early pregnancy.Study design One hundred and five pregnant, nonsmoking, coffee drinkers ages 18-40 were enrolled by the ninth week after their last menstrual period (LMP). Participants kept daily diaries of beverage and caffeine consumption and symptoms. Urine samples were collected to assess hormone metabolites. Descriptive statistics were generated.Results During the first trimester, 96% of subjects decreased or quit drinking coffee, 65% of whom reported a unique aversion to coffee. The mean daily caffeine consumption at LMP from coffee alone was 119 mg (S.D., 105), with a range 1-574 mg. There was a 59% decrease of mean daily consumption of caffeine from coffee between weeks 4 and 6, from 96 to 39 mg. The vast majority of subjects experienced nausea (98%) and appetite loss (93%); vomiting was less prevalent (54%). The most common dietary aversions included meat, coffee, spicy foods, and dairy products. Hormone metabolite patterns are reported.Conclusion Signals of early pregnancy included an aversion to coffee in addition to nausea and vomiting, which resulted in decreased caffeine consumption. These symptoms often interfered with daily life and lasted beyond the first trimester for many. Consideration should be given that a decrease in caffeine consumption may be a signal for a healthy pregnancy and acting as a confounder.
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In a small cohort of 105 women who drank coffee before pregnancy, 65% reported an aversion to coffee during the first trimester, and 95% voluntarily reduced their consumption during this trimester.
“in a small cohort of 105 women who drank coffee before pregnancy, 65% reported an aversion to coffee during the first trimester, and 95% voluntarily reduced their consumption during this trimester (171)”
From The Safety of Ingested Caffeine: A Comprehensive Review (2017) · cites this paper as [171]
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- Authors
- Lawson, C. C., LeMasters, G. K., & Wilson, K. A.
- Affiliations
- University of Cincinnati (US)
- Corresponding author
- Lawson, Christina C
- ORCID
- Lawson, Christina C
- Venue
- Reproductive Toxicology
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2004-07
- Volume
- 18
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 625-633
- ISSN
- 0890-6238 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2037249143
- Cited by
- 54
- References
- 27
- Citations by year
- 2025: 1 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 6 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 3 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 1 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 2.78
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Reproductive Toxicology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (P30ES006096, ESO6096-07)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Coffee research and impacts
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Pregnancy and Medication Impact
- Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › Reproductive System and Pregnancy
- Keywords
- caffeine consumption, coffee consumption, early pregnancy, pregnancy symptoms, nausea and vomiting, appetite loss, first trimester, hormone metabolites
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Feeding and Eating Disorders, Black or African American, Caffeine, Coffee, Female, Chorionic Gonadotropin, Hispanic or Latino, Humans, Nausea, Ohio, Pregnancy, Pregnancy Trimester, First, Prospective Studies, Surveys and Questionnaires, Vomiting, Prevalence, White People, Asian People
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