PREVENTING MISCARRIAGES: CAFFEINE, SELENIUM DEFICIENCY AND RADIATION
Caffeine
Caffeine is a stimulant and could therefore be classed as a ‘drug’. It has an adverse effect on fertility but it can also cause problems once a woman is pregnant.
In a study of 2967 pregnant women, carried out by the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at Yale University School of Medicine, the researchers found that drinking three or more cups of tea or coffee a day was associated with an increased risk of miscarriage. Other research has shown that caffeine during pregnancy can increase the probability of chromosomal abnormality which could lead to a miscarriage.
Since 1980 the US Food and Drug Administration has advised pregnant women to minimize their caffeine intake, citing the dangers of possible miscarriages or having a mentally retarded baby. Some studies suggest that there is a doubly increased risk of foetal loss when as little as one to three cups of coffee are consumed a day. So the logical advice is to err on the side of caution and avoid caffeine altogether, especially if you have a history of recurrent miscarriages.
Even decaffeinated coffee has been linked to an increased risk of miscarriage, since there is still some caffeine left even after decaffeination. Moreover, decaffeinated coffee contains, two other stimulants, theobromine and theophylline, which are not removed when the coffee is decaffeinated. Also most decaffeinated coffee has been decaffeinated by a chemical which can remain in the product.
An important point to remember is that caffeine comes in many other forms besides tea and coffee. It is there in colas and other soft drinks, as well as chocolate and pain-relieving medication, such as headache remedies.
Selenium is a powerful antioxidant which may help prevent DNA damage. Researchers have found that those women who miscarry have low levels of selenium in their blood compared to women who don’t miscarry.
Radiation
Visual Display Units (VDUs) on computers emit non-ionizing radiation, as indeed do microwaves, televisions, electric blankets, mobile phones and other electrical appliances. A number of studies have looked at the effects on women who work in front of computers, but the results are not conclusive.
Concerns about VDUs originated in Canada. In 1980, it was reported that a large number of birth defects were present in one group of VDU operators. Another study in 1984 showed that, out of 55 pregnancies of VDU users, 14.5 per cent ended in miscarriage, as compared to 5.3 per cent in non-VDU users. A further 22 per cent of the pregnancies had resulted in a malformation, compared to 11 per cent in non-VDU user. And 6.7 per cent had suffered a stillbirth, as compared to only 1 per cent in the other group. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists in the UK suggests that VDUs are not a hazard.
With the evidence as it stands at present, I personally feel it is sensible to limit time on VDUs during pregnancy. This is not only because of the possibility of unknown risk factors but also because working for long, uninterrupted periods in front of VDUs is stressful and can cause other symptoms such as headaches, nausea, fatigue, insomnia and menstrual disturbances. There is good evidence to show that stress in some women can stop them ovulating, and may also have adverse effects during pregnancy.
If a woman is going for an X-ray she is usually asked to do it in the first half of the cycle so that she cannot be pregnant without knowing it.
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