Drinking one cup of coffee a day during pregnancy probably won’t increase a woman’s risk of miscarriage or premature birth, according to The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

MSNBC reports that until recently, studies have given mixed messages about the effect of moderate caffeine consumption during pregnancy. But, “I think it’s time to comfortably say that it’s okay to have a cup of coffee during pregnancy,” said Dr. William Barth, the chair of a College committee which reviewed the evidence.

The College’s Committee on Obstetric Practice said that based on two recent studies, 200 milligrams of caffeine a day, about the amount in a 12-ounce cup of coffee, doesn’t significantly contribute to miscarriages or premature births.

That definition of “moderate caffeine consumption” would also include drinking about four 8-ounce cups of tea or more than five 12-ounce cans of soda a day, or eating six or seven dark chocolate bars. (But please don’t consume the amount of sugar in either of the latter, given how dangerous obesity can be for childbirth.) One small dark chocolate bar, though, would be within safe caffeine, fat and sugar levels – and the cocoa might actually reduce your risk of preeclampsia.

The committee didn’t say whether more than 200 mg of caffeine a day might increase pregnancy risks. In one study, led by Dr. David Savitz of The Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York, no increased rate of miscarriage was found for women who consumed low, moderate, or high levels of caffeine at different points in their pregnancy. In the other, Dr. De-Kun Li and his colleagues at Kaiser Permanente’s Division of Research in Oakland found a higher risk of miscarriage in women who consumed more than 200 mg of caffeine per day, but no extra risk at lower levels.

Photo: ConsumerReports