Furthermore, the addition of indeterminate amounts of caffeine to proprietary blends can pose a serious obstacle to breastfeeding mothers who wish to keep their caffeine intake to a safe level of <300 mg per day.īreastfeeding mothers must be aware of other caffeine sources in their diet, such as chocolate which contains natural occurring caffeine. The addition of herbal supplements with unknown safety data and B-vitamins makes energy drinks a riskier source of caffeine for breastfeeding mothers. 7 This means that energy drinks can contain proprietary blends that contain caffeine, without being required to include the amount of caffeine found in the blend. 4 Since energy drinks are considered “dietary supplements,” they are not tightly regulated by the FDA like medications are. Some energy drinks may also contain weight-loss dietary supplements or have more than one serving per container. Ingestion of excessive doses can lead to systemic toxicity. These same vitamins can be found in prenatal vitamins. Furthermore, many energy drinks have B-vitamins commonly added. Safety data not established, not recommendedĭrug interactions (antidepressants, warfarin, insulin) nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, palpitations, restlessness, headaches, sleep disturbancesįor many of these added herbal substances safety data has not been established, and therefore, they are not recommended for breastfeeding mothers. 4 The table below includes several commonly added herbal supplements that are usually listed as part of the “proprietary blend” for energy drinks on the nutrition label. By limiting caffeine intake to <300 mg per day, the infant would receive a minimal dose of caffeine through the breastmilk, even less than that of a therapeutic dose deemed safe for treatment of neonates.Įnergy drinks have variable amounts of caffeine and also contain added ingredients-vitamins, herbal supplements, amino acids, sugar derivatives-that may not have established safety data. For comparison, neonates in the intensive care unit often receive around 5 mg/kg of caffeine as a treatment for breathing issues. 6 This means for a mother who consumes 300 mg of caffeine in a day, the dose to the infant would be between 0.18 mg and 4.5 mg of caffeine. It is estimated that between 0.06% and 1.5% of maternal caffeine consumed is transferred to the infant via breastmilk. 1 However, this might be too much for some infants due to genetic differences in caffeine effects and metabolism. 3 For most breastfeeding mothers, consuming <300 mg of caffeine (equal to three 8oz cups of coffee) is considered safe. 3 Individual variability in the brain receptors that bind caffeine also influences a person’s response to the stimulant. Genetic differences in the metabolism and clearance of caffeine have been found. Extreme caution must be given to the use of caffeine during lactation if the newborn has any known heart conditions or has gastro-esophageal reflux disease, as caffeine may affect these conditions. 4 Given these differences in the amount of time it takes for babies to metabolize caffeine, special consideration must be given to newborns and preterm infants who may be more susceptible to the effects of caffeine due to these differences in the amount of time it takes for babies to metabolize caffeine. 4 The half-life for caffeine metabolism reduces to about 14 hours once the baby has reached 3-5 months of age. 3 This is because newborns lack the necessary enzymes to metabolize caffeine until several days after birth. The half-life in adults is 3-7 hours, whereas the half-life is up to 120 hours for the newborn or preterm baby. The half-life, or time it takes for the body to metabolize half of the amount of caffeine consumed, differs between adults and babies. 2 However, there are several factors that lactating mothers need to be made aware of when deciding whether caffeine is right for them. While each mother should make her own decision regarding caffeine use during lactation, the CDC states that caffeine consumption in moderation (<300 mg/d) is considered generally safe for most breastfeeding mothers and their babies. This can lead to a vicious cycle of needing caffeine to remain awake during the day, then caffeine interrupting sleep quality for mom, thus reinforcing the reliance on more caffeine the next day. Post-partum fatigue and frequent sleep interruptions while caring for a new baby can lead moms to seek out energy drinks and other caffeinated beverages to help with alertness during the day. 1 As such, the safety of caffeine-containing drinks during lactation can raise a lot of questions for new mothers. Caffeine is the most widely consumed stimulant in the world.
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