Some people drink beverages with caffeine every day, but it is said that caffeine would harm a baby’s growth if a mother takes caffeine. Can caffeine really harm a developing fetus? There are many different answers on the internet.
A website cares about baby’s health named BabyCenter,(https://www.babycenter.com/caffeine-during-pregnancy) said that “the concerns about caffeine consumption during pregnancy is that when you drink a cup of coffee, caffeine crosses the placenta into the amniotic fluid and your baby’s bloodstream. While your body goes to work metabolizing and getting rid of the caffeine, your baby’s body is still developing and takes a much longer time to metabolize the caffeine. As a result, your baby is exposed to the effects of caffeine for much longer than you are. Researchers continue to try to identify the exact effect of caffeine on your baby and your pregnancy. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) says that so far, mild caffeine intake (less than 200 mg) isn’t considered to be a major cause of miscarriage or premature birth. One large study, however, found that mothers who consumed more than 300 mg of caffeine a day were more likely to give birth to babies who were small for their gestational age.”
Another baby and pregnancy health caring website(http://https://www.marchofdimes.org/pregnancy/caffeine-in-pregnancy.aspx) also illustrated that caffeine affects the baby during expecting, “Caffeine slightly increases your blood pressure and heart rate and the amount of urine your body makes. Caffeine may cause you to feel jittery, have indigestion or have trouble sleeping. During pregnancy, you may be especially sensitive to caffeine because it may take you longer to clear it from your body than if you weren’t pregnant. When you have caffeine during pregnancy, it passes through the placenta to your baby. The placenta grows in your uterus (womb) and supplies the baby with food and oxygen through the umbilical cord. You may have heard that too much caffeine can cause miscarriage (when a baby dies in the womb before 20 weeks of pregnancy). Some studies say this is true, and others don’t. Until we know more about how caffeine can affect pregnancy, it’s best to limit the amount you get to 200 milligrams each day. This is about the amount in 1½ 8-ounce cups of coffee or one 12-ounce cup of coffee. Be sure to check the size of your cup to know how much caffeine you’re getting.”
Based on the evidence above, I believe caffeine does affect the growth of a fetus. There should be a limit that pregnant mothers should take no more than 200mg caffeine a day, they can’t drink too much coffee, also they should be aware of tea, energy drink, chocolate or the food they eat.