Why such a small study is making headlines in print and on television, we have no idea. The lives of pregnant women are already so limited, what with no drinking allowed, no drugging allowed, no hot-tubbing allowed, etc, etc. Despite the fact that 80% of miscarriages are caused by chromosomal abnormalities and have absolutely nothing to do with behavioral or lifestyle choices, a recent, small-scale Kaiser study says that women in the first 16 weeks of pregnancy who drink 200 mg or more of caffeine are twice as likely to have a miscarriage than those who consume less or none at all. The Oakland-based study included a paltry 1,063 women, with 16% (or 170 women, according to our math) suffering miscarriages.
There are, of course, some reasonable arguments for lowering caffeine intake during pregnancy. It is commonsensical to to suggest moderation in all areas of life during pregnancy. But is there really a need to freak out pregnant women any more than they're already freaked out? If scientists are calling the study important but statistically insignificant, aren't they jumping the gun just a little bit with all the warnings?
On the upside, Safeway now may see a decline in Taster's Choice Coffee theft.
