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Guidance from the HSE says pregnant women should limit their daily caffeine intake to a maximum of 200mg PA Images

Women who are pregnant or trying for a baby should avoid caffeine altogether, research suggests

The current guidelines from the HSE suggest that pregnant women drink no more than 200mg of caffeine per day.

WOMEN WHO ARE pregnant or trying for a baby should consider avoiding caffeine altogether, research has suggested.

Current guidance on the HSE website suggests pregnant women should limit the amount of caffeine they consume to 200 milligrams a day.

However, a new study concludes that pregnant women – or those trying for a baby – should avoid caffeine completely.

Caffeine is found naturally in some foods and drinks, such as tea, coffee and chocolate. It is also added to some energy drinks, cold and flu remedies and some soft drinks.

The new study, published in the journal BMJ Evidence Based Medicine, examined data from 37 observational studies.

The research, by Professor Jack James, of Reykjavik University in Iceland, found that 32 of these studies reported that caffeine significantly increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes including stillbirth, miscarriage and low birth weight.

He also cited an increased risk of childhood acute leukaemia and children being overweight or obese when born to mothers who consume caffeine during pregnancy.

Professor James wrote: “Current advice such as that issued by … the NHS [in the UK] is not consistent with the level of threat indicated by biological plausibility of harm and extensive empirical evidence of actual harm.

“Accordingly, current health recommendations concerning caffeine consumption during pregnancy are in need of radical revision.

“Specifically, the cumulative scientific evidence supports pregnant women and women contemplating pregnancy being advised to avoid caffeine.”

Daghni Rajasingham, consultant obstetrician and spokesperson for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said: “The findings of this study add to the large body of evidence that supports limited caffeine intake during pregnancy, but pregnant women do not need to completely cut out caffeine, as this paper suggests.

“As the study notes, high levels of caffeine during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage and babies having a low birth weight and may lead to excess weight gain in the child’s early years, which can increase risk of health problems later in life.

“However, as other – and potentially more reliable – research has found, pregnant women do not need to cut caffeine out entirely because these risks are extremely small, even if the recommended caffeine limits are exceeded.

“The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists’ advise to limit caffeine intake to 200 milligrams per day – the equivalent to two cups of instant coffee – still stands. This paper does not supersede all the other evidence that has found that a limited intake of caffeine is safe for the majority of pregnancy women.”

Commenting on the study, Dr Mary Ross-Davie, director for Scotland at the Royal College of Midwives, said: “There is a need to ensure that women are able to make informed choices about what they eat and drink during pregnancy, and midwives will support women to do that, taking into account this latest research.

“It is important that all available evidence is considered to shape UK recommendations, and we hope the current guidance will now be reviewed in light of these findings.”

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    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Dara O'Brien
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    Dec 23rd 2018, 7:02 PM

    The real question should be ‘is it a song’ …

    211
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    Mute Psych-nesss
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    Dec 24th 2018, 12:48 AM

    @Dara O’Brien: thick

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    Mute Hellenize Dublin
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    Dec 24th 2018, 1:12 AM

    @Dara O’Brien: thin

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    Mute Acedeuce
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    Dec 24th 2018, 1:29 AM

    @Hellenize Dublin: voluptuous

    8
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    Mute Acedeuce
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    Dec 23rd 2018, 7:03 PM

    Debatable.. But what’s not debatable is whether or not die hard is a Christmas movie! Be interesting to see a poll on that.. Because its most definitely not a Christmas movie imo!!

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    Mute Stephen Curry
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    Dec 23rd 2018, 7:18 PM

    @Acedeuce: it’s not Christmas until Hans Gruber falls from Nakatomi plaza

    140
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    Mute Dave Thomas
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    Dec 23rd 2018, 7:23 PM

    @Acedeuce: it’s all about a man trying to spend Christmas with his family.. it’s just some terrorists turn up.

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    Mute Celtic_Horizon
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    Dec 23rd 2018, 7:26 PM
    4
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    Mute Michael
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    Dec 23rd 2018, 7:31 PM

    @Acedeuce: ultimate Christmas film… ho ho ho now I’ve got a machine gun

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    Mute Kev
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    Dec 23rd 2018, 11:16 PM

    @Stephen Curry: Peralta?

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    Mute Glangan
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    Dec 24th 2018, 4:18 PM

    @Acedeuce: Silence! Of course Die Hard is a Xmas Film.

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    Mute Glangan
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    Dec 24th 2018, 4:19 PM

    @Dave Thomas: well done

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    Mute David O'Toole
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    Dec 23rd 2018, 7:11 PM

    Think it was written about the death of his brother when they were young. It was a Xmas no 1

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    Mute Davy Boy
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    Dec 23rd 2018, 7:12 PM

    Surprised it has not been banned stay another day , it that not the same as baby it’s cold outside?

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    Mute James Wallace
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    Dec 23rd 2018, 8:39 PM

    @Davy Boy: no, because he is singing to his brother who committed suicide

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    Mute Dave O'Keeffe
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    Dec 24th 2018, 8:03 AM

    @Davy Boy: also, has ‘baby it’s cold outside’ been banned? probably just in your head. But the line with the drink spiking is a little bit weird though

    3
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    Mute Pixie McMullen
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    Dec 23rd 2018, 7:13 PM

    Every “Christmas”song evokes a different memory in different people,whether it has a Christmas theme or not, the Number 1 at Christmas from years past brings nostalgia and colours our judgement,
    Is Jonah Lewies Stop the cavalry song a Christmas song? No, it was an anti war song,
    mull of Kintyre is another one,
    East 17 released their song smack bang on the pulse of romantic songs and era at the time
    To me, from my age group, the likes of The Flying Pickets, Band Aid, Chris Rea and believe it or not, Wham lol

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    Mute Pixie McMullen
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    Dec 23rd 2018, 7:20 PM

    @Pixie McMullen: Oh! and mull of Kintyre, i have fond memories of being 12 years old and delivering milk with the local milkman that morning, always stopped off at my house for tea and a warm up, Women put warm milk bottles out when they heard the truck, and there were little tips of 50p flying that weekend, rosy cheeked freezing cold and as happy as F**k

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    Mute Darcy
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    Dec 23rd 2018, 8:52 PM

    @Pixie McMullen: flying pickets , now I did love them and Wham of course !

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    Mute Dave O'Keeffe
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    Dec 24th 2018, 9:38 AM

    @Pixie McMullen: awww now that is a nice memory.

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    Mute Greg Ward
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    Dec 23rd 2018, 7:05 PM

    It’s not a real Christmas song. Just a real sh!t song.

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    Mute Darcy
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    Dec 23rd 2018, 8:11 PM

    NO its not it has nothing to do with Christmas

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    Mute Michael
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    Dec 23rd 2018, 11:26 PM

    @Darcy: why not?

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    Mute Dara O'Brien
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    Dec 23rd 2018, 7:17 PM

    It identifies as a Christmas song – it’s wishes must be respected.

    But;

    Nobody asked the shinners so the poll is just an FFG shill perpetrated by the Christmas elite.

    Also;

    If it had just paid its Christmas dues, it wouldn’t be the centre of this debate at all – I cant believe that this is the Christmas song that people have chosen to get behind …

    Etc etc

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    Mute Uncle Montys oaf
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    Dec 23rd 2018, 7:04 PM

    It’s a crap song

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    Mute TellingItAsItIs
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    Dec 23rd 2018, 8:25 PM

    Seriously? Could you guys not drum up a bit of news?

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    Mute Michael
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    Dec 23rd 2018, 11:28 PM

    @TellingItAsItIs: if you don’t like the article you don’t have to go into it and comment on it look else where lad

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    Mute TellingItAsItIs
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    Dec 23rd 2018, 11:53 PM

    @Michael: It’s a public forum pal. I’ll comment on it if I wish.

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    Mute Michael
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    Dec 24th 2018, 12:43 AM

    @TellingItAsItIs: maybe public but if I don’t like a forum I’ll pass on it…not go into it and comment on it saying I don’t like it

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    Mute TellingItAsItIs
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    Dec 24th 2018, 8:18 AM

    @Michael: you do what you would do kid and I’ll do what I do.

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    Mute John Connolly
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    Dec 23rd 2018, 7:02 PM

    A slow news day!!!!!! The 42 would prob get a better reaction if they asked if Die Hard a Christmas movie…….

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    Mute Earl of Daventry
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    Dec 24th 2018, 12:58 AM

    The writer, Tony Mortimer gets serious royalties off this. He’s worth £60 million.

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    Mute ivan lynch
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    Dec 23rd 2018, 7:54 PM

    Should be banned

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    Mute Quentin Moriarty
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    Dec 23rd 2018, 10:13 PM

    Take out the background bells and could be played in July

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    Mute Michael
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    Dec 23rd 2018, 10:40 PM

    @Quentin Moriarty: take out Christmas out of all songs and they could be played in July going by your logic…

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    Mute Quentin Moriarty
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    Dec 23rd 2018, 11:49 PM

    @Michael: Christmas just bell sounds ?

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    Mute Michael
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    Dec 24th 2018, 12:51 AM

    @Quentin Moriarty: you could replace that word with anything like you can replace back Round bells with any kind of instrument…going by your logic

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    Mute Michael
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    Dec 24th 2018, 12:53 AM

    @Michael: ment to say back ground

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    Mute Paul M. Barrett
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    Dec 23rd 2018, 9:21 PM

    It’s an atrocious song, the same monotonous chorus repeated over and over by a group who were a poor version of Take That. It’s best forgotten about not debated.

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    Mute Michael
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    Dec 23rd 2018, 10:33 PM

    @Paul M. Barrett: may not all about the song…like me could be that the time and year it was released I got my first Sega mega drive that Christmas….cheer up lad it’s Christmas

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    Mute Crocodylus Pontifex
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    Dec 23rd 2018, 9:36 PM

    Is ‘The Monster Mash’ a valentin’s day song? It wasn’t but since 1993 it has been

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    Mute Barra O Brien
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    Dec 24th 2018, 2:16 AM

    No

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    Mute Darren Sheridan
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    Dec 24th 2018, 12:34 PM

    Jingle Bells doesn’t mention Christmas so.. sure why not.

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    Mute Gisbert Bayertz
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    Dec 23rd 2018, 9:06 PM

    It’s a crap song

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    Mute Noel Kelly
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    Dec 24th 2018, 9:07 PM

    It’s not a Christmas song but bells were added to make it a Christmas song

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    Mute Matthew Gorman
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    Dec 24th 2018, 1:51 PM

    Yes it’s got bells in it.

    1
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