Caffeine Content in Newborn Hair Correlates with Maternal Dietary Intake

April 2020 in “ European Journal of Nutrition ”

Anni Lehtonen, Lauri Uusitalo, Seppo Auriola, Katri Backman, Seppo Heinonen, Leea Keski‐Nisula, Markku Pasanen, Juha Pekkanen, Tomi‐Pekka Tuomainen, Raimo Voutilainen, Sari Hantunen, Marko Lehtonen

caffeine newborn hair maternal dietary intake food frequency questionnaire fetal caffeine exposure perinatal health long-term child health baby hair mother's diet diet survey child health

TLDR Newborns' hair shows how much caffeine their mothers drank during pregnancy.

The study analyzed the relationship between caffeine intake in pregnant women during their last trimester and the caffeine content found in their newborns' hair. Data was collected from 2840 women using a food frequency questionnaire, and 316 newborn hair samples were examined. Results showed a significant correlation (r=0.50; p<0.001) between the average maternal caffeine intake of 167 mg/day and the caffeine levels in newborn hair. Factors such as being older, multiparous, overweight, and smoking were associated with higher caffeine levels in both the mothers' diets and their newborns' hair. The study concluded that caffeine content in newborn hair is a reliable indicator of fetal caffeine exposure from maternal intake. It also highlighted that over 40% of the women consumed more caffeine than the recommended limits set by the EFSA, suggesting potential risks for perinatal and long-term child health, and indicating a need for further research on the effects of caffeine exposure.

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