Association between Caffeine Consumption in Pregnancy and Low Birth Weight and Preterm Birth in the birth Cohort of Ribeirão Preto

Objective  To describe caffeine consumption during pregnancy and its association with low birth weight (LBW) and preterm birth in the birth cohort of Ribeirao Preto, state of Sao Paulo, Brazil, in 2010. Methods  Cohort study, with descriptive and analytical approach. Data included 7,607 women and their newborns in Ribeirao Preto, state of Sao Paulo, Brazil. The women answered standardized questionnaires about reproductive health, prenatal care, life habits, sociodemographic conditions, and information about coffee intake. The independent variable was high caffeine consumption (≥300 mg/day) from coffee during pregnancy, and the dependent variables were LBW (birth weight  Results  A total of 4,908 (64.5%) mothers consumed caffeine, 143 (2.9%) of whom reported high consumption. High caffeine intake was significantly associated with reduced education and with the occupation of the head of the family, nonwhite skin color, not having a partner, higher parity, previous abortion and preterm birth, urinary tract infection, threatened abortion, alcohol consumption and smoking. No association was found between high caffeine consumption and LBW or preterm birth in both unadjusted (RR = 1.45; 95% CI: 0.91–2.32; and RR = 1.16; 95% CI: 0.77–1.75, respectively) and adjusted analyses (RR = 1.42; 95% CI: 0.85–2.38; and RR = 1.03; 95% CI: 0.65–1.63, respectively). Conclusion  In this cohort, high caffeine intake was lower than in other studies and no association with LBW or preterm birth was found.