Bibliographic Info
GuidelineWHO recommendations on antenatal care for a positive pregnancy experience
Year of Publication2016
Issuing InstitutionWHO
Recommendation
Status
Maintained
Context specific recommendation
Only in specific contexts
Certainty of evidence
Moderate
For pregnant women with high daily caffeine intake (more than 300 mg per day), lowering daily caffeine intake during pregnancy is recommended to reduce the risk of pregnancy loss and low birth weight neonates.
Notes and Remarks
- 1.Pregnant women should be informed that a high daily caffeine intake (> 300 mg per day) is probably associated with a higher risk of pregnancy loss and low birth weight.
- 2.Caffeine is a stimulant found in tea, coffee, soft-drinks, chocolate, kola nuts and some over-the-counter medicines. Coffee is probably the most common source of high caffeine intake. A cup of instant coffee can contain about 60 mg of caffeine; however, some commercially brewed coffee brands contain more than 150 mg of caffeine per serving.
- 3.Caffeine-containing teas (black tea and green tea) and soft drinks (colas and iced tea) usually contain less than 50 mg per 250 mL serving.
Also Featured In
This recommendation also appears in the following guidelines:
Guideline
WHO recommendations on maternal health: guidelines approved by the WHO Guidelines Review Committee, second edition. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2025
Year2023
InstitutionWorld Health Organization