Decaffeinated Coffee is No Safer than Caffeinated Coffee for Pregnant Women

Just drank my cup of coffee for today. Loves the smell of strong black coffee. It has been way too long I've stopped drinking coffee, all were due to being pregnant and breastfeeding back then. My gynae told me though, that I could still take 1 cup of coffee, tea, or chocolate each day. But I didn't want to take any risks by drinking these beverages. It was very hard to part from coffee as I used to drink at least 5 cups of coffee every day. I was really addicted to coffee. But again, since coffee is not that good for pregnant woman, I really didn't drink coffee for full 16 months.

My friends though, they kept on drinking coffee, 1 glass per day. They had decaf coffee, which was thought to be safer than caffeinated coffee.

Oh I gotta tell you fellows who are coffee addicts and are pregnant now, this doesn't hold true. Decaffeinated coffee is NOT any safer than caffeinated coffee.

It has been known though, that coffee drinking in early pregnancy is linked with miscarriage. Coffee drinking later in pregnancy is associated with low birth weight of the baby.

The current study by Danish researchers, was performed on preggars drinking caffeinated and decaffeinated instant coffee from about 20 weeks of gestation. The results showed that there is no differences in birth weight or prematurity, despite the fact that the caffeinated coffee group had about 180mg of caffeine more per day. And for preggars who drank caffeinated coffee and smoked, they had smaller babies.

So, to all my pregnant friends, please steer clear from coffee. Also avoid tea or chocolate whenever possible. Subsitute with fruit juices instead. Do the best we can do as a mom, and we will have nothing we could regret about in the future

How Smoking Parents Ruin Their Baby's Health

My husband is a smoker, and this worries me a lot. During my pregnancy, he always manages to smoke outside the house. But most of the time, I can still smell the tobacco after he finished smoking, even after he has brushed his teeth.

Smoking in fact should be avoided at all. Pregnant women should quit smoking to reduce the risk of premature delivery and of having a low-birthweigh baby. The spouse should do the same too, all in the name of the baby.

Studies have shown that smoking by parents has been linked to:

• an increased risk of SIDS / Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (sudden and unexpected death of an apparently healthy infant that is unexplained by the baby's medical history, and is the major cause of infant death between the ages of 2 weeks and 12 months),
• more respiratory illnesses (colds, flu, bronchiolitis, asthma) and ear infections during the first year of life,
• impaired lung capacity, as well as
• an increased risk of tooth decay later on in childhood.

Not only are the children of smokers sick more often than children of nonsmokers, but their illnesses also last longer. They are also more likely to be hospitalized in the first three years of life. The more smokers in the household, the more severe the negative effect, since the amount of smoke a child inhales is related to the number of smokers the baby is exposed to on a regular basis.

And what seems to be quite safe for the mother or spouse to smoke outside the house, it is totally untrue! Do note that the above risks ARE NOT eliminated even when parents step outside the house to light up. Researchers have found that children in households with smokers who smoke only outside are still exposed to 70% more damaging lung particles than those in nonsmoking households.

So quitting smoking keep your child healthier in their childhood. Quitting obviously will not be easy. As they would with any drug addiction, your body and your mind will align against you. But, if you are determined to fight back, for your sake and your baby's sake, you can triumph over both! The best time to give up is now, before baby is born. So your newborn will come home from hospital to clean, breathable air.

Alcohol as a Cause of Cancer

It has been told that moderate consumption of red wine, on average 2 glass per day will be beneficial for our health. For other alcohol in general, the suggested consumption is 4 drinks a day for men, and 2 drinks a day for women. Apparently, this no longer hold true. Red wine consumption is particularly good for cardiac disease, however consumption of wine and alcohol in general would increase the risk of cancer.

A new report "Alcohol as a Cause of Cancer" is released today, 8 May 2008, showing alarming link between alcohol consumption and particular types of cancer.

An international audit of cancer and alcohol research was conducted by The Cancer Institute New South Wales. The study found that even as little as 2 glass of alcohol per day can significantly increase the risk of cancer. And thus, reducing alcohol consumption will lower risk of cancer.

The types of cancer associated with alcohol consumption include:
- bowel cancer,
- breast cancer,
- head and neck cancer,
- oesophageal or gullet cancer.

The average risk increase per average drink is around 10-20% for some of the above cancers.

I myself have received news in less than a week that 3 men I know of have been diagnosed with colon or prostate cancer. All 3 of them smoked and/or drink wine on regular basis.

Cancer, in fact, is a very common disease. On average, 1 in 2 men, and 1 in 3 women will most likely get cancer in their lifetime. The prevention strategies would include, but not limited to, eliminating the risk factors such as alcohol and tobacco. For more tips on cancer prevention, please refer to my previous post on cancer.