Coffee drinking and risk of preterm birth.
OBJECTIVE
We analysed the association between coffee drinking before and during the three trimesters of pregnancy and the risk of preterm birth of babies normal for gestational age (NGA) or small for gestational age (SGA).


METHODS
Case-control study conducted in University clinics of North Italy. Cases were 502 women who delivered at <37 weeks of gestation. The controls included 1966 women who gave birth at term (>or=37 weeks of gestation) to healthy infants on randomly selected days at the hospitals where cases had been identified.


RESULTS
There was inverse association for coffee consumption in the third trimester of pregnancy in SGA cases compared to NGA (heterogeneity test between OR: chi1(2)=5.6811 P<0.05). In comparison with not drinkers, all the ORs of overall intake of caffeine were closed near the unity for both SGA and NGA preterm birth.


CONCLUSIONS
Compared with no consumption, a low consumption of coffee during pregnancy may not have significant effects on preterm birth.
Chiaffarino
F
F
Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Milan, Italy. chiaffarino@marionengri.it
Parazzini
F
F
Chatenoud
L
L
Ricci
E
E
Tozzi
L
L
Chiantera
V
V
Maffioletti
C
C
Fedele
L
L
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001724:Birth Weight / Q000187:drug effects*; D002110:Caffeine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003069:Coffee / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012307:Risk Factors
D003069:Coffee; D002110:Caffeine