Kathryn Adams PHC 4406 Paper #1 Coffee and Birth Defects Coffee is known to most individuals as a boost of energy

to have a jumpstart to the day. The effects of coffee on the human body have been researched leading to conclusionspositive and negative. Coffee is not for everyone, though, especially pregnant women. Studies show that coffee is probably the most widely used neuroactive substance, also among pregnant woman (Linnet, et al., 2009). This study indicates that the population of women within the childbearing ages are consuming coffee at potentially dangerous rates. More research shows an array of birth defects which are possible when consuming coffee during pregnancy. An example of a study done which concluded that certain neurological birth defects, hyperkinetic disorder and attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD), were possible results with the consumption of coffee during pregnancy. Another substantial study was researched by the Cancer Detection and Prevention Center. As opposed to neurological defects, this experiment was in regards to coffee, and an acute type of cancer which determined that maternal coffee intake during pregnancy was associated with childhood acute leukemia (Menegaux, et al., 2005). The American Pregnancy Association points out that although adults can process coffee, it does not mean that everyone can, especially an unborn baby. Bearing in mind the health aspects of the importance of sleep pertaining to the human body, it is imperative to consider an unborn babys development during the sleep cycle. An unborn babys metabolism is continuously maturing (especially during sleep), and any amount of caffeine cannot fully metabolized. Coffee and caffeine in general deviates a babys sleep pattern and/or even the movement pattern in the later trimesters of a pregnancy. It is crucial to remember that all coffee is a stimulant, and it can keep disturb the babys sleeping patterns as well as the mothers sleeping pattern possibly leading to physical deformities, neurological problems, blood disorders, etc (Weng, et al., 2011).

Kathryn Adams PHC 4406 Paper #1 A cohort study was carefully examined among a population of 24,068 singletons delivered between 1990 and 1998 to determine the correlation between the consumption of coffee during pregnancy and the neurological function of the child (Linnet, et al., 2009). The study concluded that more than half of the women (55%) in the study consumed coffee during the time of pregnancy, and eighty-eight children were diagnosed with hyperkinetic disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The ages of the diagnosis of the neurological disorder were found to be between the ages of 3 and 12 years of age with the median age being 7 years old with an inter-quartile range being +/-2. Pregnant women that consumed 10 or more cups of coffee per day significantly increased the chance of giving birth to a baby with hyperkinetic disorder or ADHD (Linnet, et al., 2009). Actually, the women who drank coffee during pregnancy were more likely to be smokers, refrained from alcohol consumption, were over 30 years-old, had a higher education status, were more frequently cohabitant, maintained a job, and did not have signs of psychopathology (Linnet, et al., 2009). Comparable quantities of coffee intake throughout the population of mothers with children were related to the diagnoses of attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) (Linnet, et al., 2009). This particular study compiled the outcomes among a total (N) of 24, 028 women, and the end results indicated that the specific modifications which were integrated into the research process did not affect the statistics. Adjusted and unadjusted risk ratios equated to ten or more cups of coffee a day consumed by the subjects (Linnet, et al., 2009)
*See Table 3 and Linnets description of the study on next page

Kathryn Adams PHC 4406 Paper #1

(Linnet, et al., 2009)

Table 3 shown above revealed that among the population of children involved in the study: Twenty-one children had comorbid disorders other than particular developmental disorders of speech, language, scholastic skills and motor function (DF8083.9). When these 21 children, comorbid disorders other than specific developmental disorders of speech, language, scholastic skills and motor function (DF8083.9). When these 21 children, 8 with hyperkinetic conduct disorder (DF90.1) and 13 with comorbid adjustment, attachment, or tic disorders (DF43.25; DF94.1; DF95.20), were censored at the time of their first psychiatric disorder, results still remained the same. The women with missing information on coffee consumption (N = 7523; 24%) did have a different risk profile, but a similar frequency of children with hyperkinetic disorder/ADHD (n = 33; 0.4%) compared with the study population (N = 24 068; n = 88; 0.4%) (Linnet, et al., 2009). The study selected a small population of women in which were exposed to a significant amount of caffeine not only from coffee. The results reflected caffeine from any source exhibited findings similar to the caffeine from coffee consumption. While the analyses of the study among the population of children without a history of parental psychiatric disorders, the outcomes showed that there was no 3

Kathryn Adams PHC 4406 Paper #1 change. The analyses which were only studied among the children with birth weights above 2500 grams as well as gestational ages above 37 completed weeks, the findings were also unaffected. The children with comorbid disorders whom already were diagnosed with hyperkinetic disorder or ADHD did not explicate the findings with regards to the intake of coffee (Linnet, et al., 2009). These studies are educational as well as informational for students and/or mothers-to-be. It is vital that during any and every pregnancy mothers know the facts. Research is a crucial aspect when considering the future of an unborn baby. Linnets studies showed the facts in detail which pertained to several risk factors. Coffee consumption during pregnancy absolutely affects an unborn baby when considering behavioral aspects as well other disorders. A baby born with acute leukemia or developing this serious cancer can be a result of the mothers intake of coffee during pregnancy (Menegaux, et al., 2005). There are many ways to find accurate sources for the health of an unborn baby which include beverageslike coffeeto either avoid or find the amount that is healthy for the individual and their unborn baby. Consider the caffeine in coffee. Research is vital to the worldnot just researchers and scientists. There is an extremely vast amount of research done every single day throughout the entire world which is intended to assist the human race (as well as animals, plants, and many other things). The question that is presented in the prompt asks whether chocolate suppress cancer growth. Research indicates that chocolate is rich in flavonoids (a type of plant secondary metabolites). Flavonoids have shown to be beneficial in particular illnesses like cardiovascular disease as well as cancer. (Sathyapalan, Beckett, Rigby, Mellor, & Atkin, 2010). Another study concluded: Flavonols and flavones, but not other flavonoid subclasses or total flavonoids, is associated with a decreased risk of breast cancer, especially among post-menopausal women (Hui, et al., 2013).

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References
Crown, J. (2007). A Wake-Up Call For Coffee. Businessweek, (4055), 023. Hui, C., Qi, X., Qianyong, Z., Xiaoli, P., Jundong, Z., & Mantian, M. (2013). Flavonoids, Flavonoid Subclasses and Breast Cancer Risk: A Meta-Analysis of Epidemiologic Studies. Plos ONE, 1-8. Linnet, K., Wisborg, K., Secher, N., Hove Thomsen, P., Obel, C., Dalsgaard, S., & Henriksen, T. (2009). Coffee Consumption During Pregnancy and the Risk of Hyperkinetic Disorder and ADHD: A Prospective Cohort Study. Acta Paediatrica, 98(1), 173-179. Menegaux, F., Steffen, C., Bellec, S., Baruchel, A., Lescoeur, B., Leverger, G., . . . Clavel, J. (2005). Maternal coffee and alcohol consumption during pregnancy, parental smoking and risk of childhood acute leukaemia. Cancer Detection and Prevention, pp. 29, 06; 487-493. Sathyapalan, T., Beckett, S., Rigby, A., Mellor, D., & Atkin, S. (2010). High Cocoa Polyphenol Rich Chocolate May Reduce Burden. Nutrition Journal, 955-59. Weng, X., Odouli, R., Herring, A., Li, D., Savitz, D., Chan, R., & Hartmann, K. (2011, March). Caffeine Intake During Pregnancy: Pregnancy Wellness. Retrieved from American Pregnancy Association: http://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancyhealth/caffeine.html