Moderate caffeine consumption during pregnancy not detrimental to baby's health

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Nov. 21 (UPI) -- Pregnant coffee-lovers need not despair, new research suggests moderate caffeine consumption during pregnancy does not harm a baby's future intelligence or behavioral health.

Research conducted by Nationwide Children's Hospital and published in the American Journal of Epidemiology this week did not find evidence connecting moderate caffeine consumption -- equivalent to one or two cups of coffee a day -- with behavioral issues or obesity in young children.

Scientists studied blood samples of over 2,000 expecting mothers taken between the years of 1959 and 1974 -- an era when caffeine consumption was more prevalent due to the lack of caution regarding the substance -- to complete the research.

"Taken as a whole, we consider our results to be reassuring for pregnant women who consume moderate amounts of caffeine or the equivalent to 1 or 2 cups of coffee per day," said Dr. Sarah Kleim, co-author and principal investigator in the Center for Biobehavioral Health at the Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital.