I Thought Coffee Was Bad During Pregnancy...An Unexpected Benefit Emerges

Moderate intake linked to lower atopic dermatitis risk in children
Causality unproven...“Managing total caffeine intake is crucial”

A Korean study has found an association suggesting that children born to mothers who consumed a moderate amount of coffee during pregnancy had a lower risk of atopic dermatitis. However, the researchers and other experts stressed that this should not be interpreted as evidence to actively recommend coffee consumption during pregnancy.

According to Yonhap News, a research team led by Professor Kim Ijun of the Department of Environmental Medicine at Ewha Womans University College of Medicine recently published the analysis results of the "Korean Children’s Environmental Health Birth Cohort (Ko-CHENS)" in the latest issue of the Journal of the Korean Society of Medical Informatics.

The research team followed the health status of 3,252 mother-child pairs recruited between 2015 and 2019 for three years, dividing them into three groups: those who "stopped drinking coffee" during pregnancy (1,809 people), those who drank "less than one cup per day" (1,225 people), and those who drank "one or more cups per day" (188 people). They found a tendency for a lower risk of atopic dermatitis in children whose mothers consumed an appropriate amount of coffee during pregnancy.

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The group that drank less than one cup of coffee per day during pregnancy had an 11% lower risk of atopic dermatitis in their children compared with the group that did not drink coffee. In the group that consumed one or more cups per day, a 9% lower risk was also observed, but this association did not reach statistical significance.

No clear association was found between coffee consumption and other allergic diseases such as asthma and allergic rhinitis. The research team suggested that antioxidants and anti-inflammatory effects contained in coffee, as well as changes in the gut microbiome environment, may have influenced the fetal immune development process.

At the same time, the researchers clearly pointed out the limitations of an observational study. They explained that a causal relationship cannot be established, as various factors such as the type of coffee, extraction method, and accompanying dietary habits may not have been fully accounted for. The team stated, "This is the first domestic birth cohort analysis to show that moderate coffee consumption during pregnancy may be associated with a reduced risk of atopic dermatitis in infancy," while adding, "Further research is needed to verify a causal relationship."

Experts emphasize that managing total caffeine intake is more important than whether pregnant women drink coffee or not. This is because caffeine is also found in green tea, chocolate, cola, and other products, and individual metabolic capacity varies. Multiple studies and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) state that if caffeine intake during pregnancy is limited to 200 mg or less per day, the risks of miscarriage or preterm birth do not increase significantly.

Through Yonhap News, Professor Han Jungyeol of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Ilsan Paik Hospital advised, "Since pregnant women consume caffeine through various foods, it is most important to manage the total amount consumed," adding, "Although recommendations differ slightly, keeping daily intake at 200 mg or less is the most realistic guideline."