Family

The amount of coffee your partner drinks could affect your pregnancy

New research finds surprising link.

Many women who are pregnant or trying to conceive will already know to stay away from drinking too much coffee. Now, researchers have found the caffeine intake of your partner can also have an effect on your unborn baby and your chances for suffering an early miscarriage.

A study published in the journal Fertility and Sterility has made the link.

Researchers followed 344 heterosexual couples in the weeks before they became pregnant and shortly after they conceived.

Each partner recorded how much caffeine, alcohol, and multivitamins they consumed each day during the study.

A little over a quarter of the couples – 98 of them – suffered miscarriages within the research timeframe.

It was found women older than 35, those who didn’t always take their vitamins, and those who drank more than two caffeinated drinks a day before getting pregnant were more likely to lose their babies.

The study also found women whose partners consumed at least three caffeinated drinks a day were also more like to suffer a miscarriage.

The study shows an association between caffeine and miscarriage, however the researchers say further studies will be needed to conclusively prove the link.

The New Zealand Nutrition Foundation advises pregnant women to limit the amount of caffeine they consume each day to the equivalent of around two cups of coffee.

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