Paediatrician warns against intake of caffeine during breastfeeding

A Paediatrician, Dr Anna Shafe, has warned women against excessive intake of caffeine during breastfeeding.

The paediatrician told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja that a small amount of caffeine often ends in breast milk.

She said that though it was safe to have caffeine during breastfeeding, but stressed that over-consumption of it could spell danger.

According to her, though the caffeine you eat and drink does end up in your breast milk, most research suggests that amount is less than one per cent of what you ingest.

She said that caffeine intake by women should be limited, adding that a nursing mother should reduce caffeine intake to 300 milligrams daily.

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According to her, if you do have more than one cup a day, minimise the amount in your breast milk at any one time by spreading your coffee intake over the course of the day.

She noted that women could also opt for espresso drinks such as lattes that have less caffeine than regular brewed coffee.

“It is very unlikely that your baby will show any effects from the caffeine you drink, but if you feel strongly that your baby is excessively cranky after you drink coffee, you can try an admittedly challenging experiment.

“Take caffeine out of your diet for a week and see if there is a change in your baby’s behaviour.

“You can also put caffeine back into your diet and see if the baby reverts back to the irritability, if she does, you have your answer,’’ Shafe said.

She said “when caffeine enters your bloodstream, a small amount of it usually less than 1 per cent ends up in your breast milk’’.

The paediatrician said that to manage your caffeine intake, there is need to be aware of the sources.

Shafe added that other sources like tea, soft drinks, energy drinks, chocolate and coffee ice cream must be taken into consideration.

She, however, regretted that caffeine also showed up in herbal products and over-the-counter drugs.