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| Cut caffeine, pregnant women told | Cut caffeine, pregnant women told |
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| Pregnant women should cut their caffeine intake and drink no more than two cups of coffee or four cups of tea a day, a government agency has advised. | Pregnant women should cut their caffeine intake and drink no more than two cups of coffee or four cups of tea a day, a government agency has advised. |
| The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has lowered its recommended levels of the stimulant from a maximum of 300mg a day to 200mg - a reduction of a third. | The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has lowered its recommended levels of the stimulant from a maximum of 300mg a day to 200mg - a reduction of a third. |
| It follows research by Leicester and Leeds universities linking caffeine to babies born with low birth weight. | It follows research by Leicester and Leeds universities linking caffeine to babies born with low birth weight. |
| The study will be published in the British Medical Journal this week. | The study will be published in the British Medical Journal this week. |
| Children born with a low birth weight are more likely to suffer health problems like heart disease and diabetes. | Children born with a low birth weight are more likely to suffer health problems like heart disease and diabetes. |
| I want to reassure women that if you're pregnant and have been following the previous advice, the risk is likely to be small Andrew WadgeFSA chief scientist | I want to reassure women that if you're pregnant and have been following the previous advice, the risk is likely to be small Andrew WadgeFSA chief scientist |
| The advice means women should stick to a maximum of two average-sized cups of coffee per day - although those who have been drinking three cups have been told not to panic. | |
| The FSA's chief scientist Andrew Wadge said: "This is new advice but these are not new risks. | The FSA's chief scientist Andrew Wadge said: "This is new advice but these are not new risks. |
| "I want to reassure women that if you're pregnant and have been following the previous advice, the risk is likely to be small." | "I want to reassure women that if you're pregnant and have been following the previous advice, the risk is likely to be small." |
| The FSA guidance means women should limit themselves to three or four cups of tea a day and watch their intake of cola, chocolate and energy drinks. | The FSA guidance means women should limit themselves to three or four cups of tea a day and watch their intake of cola, chocolate and energy drinks. |
| Drinks bought from coffee shops may be far higher than the FSA estimates for the average-sized home-made cup. | Drinks bought from coffee shops may be far higher than the FSA estimates for the average-sized home-made cup. |
| The university study which prompted the revised guidance involved 2,500 pregnant women. | |
| The new guidance follows another study suggesting drinking lightly during pregnancy cut the risk of problem behaviour and hyperactivity in boys. | The new guidance follows another study suggesting drinking lightly during pregnancy cut the risk of problem behaviour and hyperactivity in boys. |
| The University College London report found boys born to light drinkers did better on vocabulary tests than those born to mothers who abstained completely during pregnancy. | The University College London report found boys born to light drinkers did better on vocabulary tests than those born to mothers who abstained completely during pregnancy. |
| Current medical advice is that women should avoid alcohol while pregnant or trying to conceive. | Current medical advice is that women should avoid alcohol while pregnant or trying to conceive. |