Effect of coffee intake on blood flow and maternal stress during the third trimester of pregnancy.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effects of maternal ingestion of an ordinary dose of coffee on maternal stress and placental and fetal blood circulation during the third trimester of pregnancy.


METHODS
We performed a Doppler blood flow analysis for 10 women in the third trimester of pregnancy before and after they drank a cup of coffee. Salivary samples were collected from the 10 pregnant women and 14 nonpregnant controls just before coffee intake and 30 min later. Salivary cortisol levels and chromogranin A titers were determined.


RESULTS
Coffee intake had no effect on maternal or fetal blood flow. Among the pregnant women, Salivary cortisol levels were significantly reduced after coffee intake but salivary chromogranin A concentration was not significantly different before and after coffee intake.


CONCLUSIONS
The reduced salivary cortisol levels suggest that coffee intake decreases maternal stress during pregnancy.
Tsubouchi
H
H
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita City, Osaka, Japan.
Shimoya
K
K
Hayashi
S
S
Toda
M
M
Morimoto
K
K
Murata
Y
Y
D001158:Arteries / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002110:Caffeine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D053379:Chromogranin A / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000098:blood supply*; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000032:analysis; D020768:Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000187:drug effects / Q000196:embryology / Q000502:physiology; D010920:Placenta / Q000098:blood supply*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000187:drug effects; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler; D014469:Umbilical Arteries / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D014599:Uterus / Q000098:blood supply
D053379:Chromogranin A; D002110:Caffeine; D006854:Hydrocortisone