To further expand on the harmful effects that caffeine can have, various studies have been done on caffeine intake during pregnancy and its effect on fetal growth. Research has shown that maternal caffeine intake may lead to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Further studies have shown that caffeine intake, especially during the third trimester of pregnancy, causes decreased birth weight or possibly may lead to miscarriage. Mothers with heavy caffeine intake in their first trimester, who consumed 400 milligrams of caffeine or more per day, were more prone to babies who died due to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). The majority of caffeine intake by these mothers was the result of coffee consumption.
More dangers that caffeine may pose to a fetus are seen in a 2001 study, where Christian and Brent had shown that women who consumed a large amount of caffeine had children with reduced birth weight. However, those mothers who consumed moderate amounts of caffeine a day did not have babies with reduced birth weight.
Now, enough of the negative side effects of caffeine; let’s return to the positive effects of caffeine that get us hooked. Aside from the adverse effects of caffeine, various scientific research studies have identified some positive effects that caffeine may have on the human body. Research done by Thompson and Keene demonstrates that caffeine increases alertness due to its stimulating activity on the central nervous system. Its stimulating characteristic enhances cognition and causes one to be more attentive, which explains why we so often need it before a test. Caffeine also contributes to alertness throughout the day by reducing daily fatigue. Most probably, this explains why so many people throughout society are reliant upon this commonly used drug.
Although caffeine may seem like a necessity upon awaking in the morning, and the thought of starting your day without tortures your mind, there are many other considerations to think about before becoming reliant on this drug. Although caffeine provides one with a needed stimulant, it also has various side effects that can be hazardous to our health. However, these side effects are fairly rare and are very preventable. So for all you coffee drinkers out there: don’t worry; the side effects are not so terrible to have you stop drinking immediately!