Maternal caffeine consumption and infant nighttime waking: prospective cohort study

Area of Science:

• Perinatal epidemiology
• Infant sleep studies
• Maternal health

Background:

• Caffeine is widely consumed during pregnancy and lactation.
• Caffeine's impact on adult sleep is known, but its effect on infant sleep is less understood.
• Nighttime waking is a common concern for parents of infants.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between maternal caffeine consumption during pregnancy and lactation and frequent nocturnal awakenings in 3-month-old infants.
• To determine if high caffeine intake by mothers influences infant sleep patterns.

Main Methods:

• A cohort study of infants born in Pelotas, Brazil, in 2004.
• Maternal interviews at delivery and 3 months postpartum collected data on caffeine intake and other factors.
• Infant sleep patterns, including nighttime waking, were assessed in a subsample using parental reports.
• Multivariable Poisson regression analysis was employed.

Main Results:

• Nearly all mothers consumed caffeine during pregnancy, with about 20% being heavy consumers (≥300 mg/day).
• 13.8% of infants experienced frequent nighttime awakenings (>3 episodes/night).
• A trend towards increased nighttime waking was observed in breastfed infants of heavy caffeine-consuming mothers, but this was not statistically significant.

Conclusions:

• Maternal caffeine consumption during pregnancy and lactation does not appear to significantly affect infant sleep at 3 months of age.
• The study suggests no adverse consequences on infant sleep related to maternal caffeine intake.