1. Summary of Findings:
This claim is FALSE. There is no scientific evidence that caffeine consumption during pregnancy causes deformity or birth defects in humans.
2. Primary Sources Found:
- National Institutes of Health (NIH) newsroom and NICHD studies: Research shows that while caffeine is a stimulant, moderate consumption (150-300 mg per day) shows no negative effects on pregnant women or fetal development.
- American Pregnancy Organization: Confirms that scientists have not found evidence that moderate caffeine consumption causes deformity. Animal studies may show some effects at high doses, but this does not translate to human pregnancy outcomes.
- Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) study: Found only that children born to mothers with highest caffeine intake were slightly shorter on average (1.5 cm), but this is not a deformity and is a minor variation.
While excessive caffeine intake should be limited during pregnancy, the claim that normal caffeine consumption causes deformity is not supported by scientific evidence.