Caffeine intake in pregnant mothers has been linked to excessive childhood weight gain. In a new study, over 50,000 women reported their daily caffeine intake once during their pregnancy and their children’s weights were monitored intermittently for six months to eight years. Women with a “very high” intake had a 66 percent higher chance of their child being overweight in the first year of life than those with a low intake; women with “high” or “average” intake had a 30 percent higher chance. This is significant because 75 percent of pregnant women drink coffee and our obesity epidemic is only rising. For reference, an eight-ounce cup of coffee has around 150 mg, the “average” level for this study was 50-200 mg a day, and the current guidelines for pregnant women suggests not surpassing 200 mg a day. The good news is that only the children who had been exposed to “very high” levels of caffeine during pregnancy still had a greater chance of being overweight at eight years old, which is when other factors like diet and exercise being to have a much greater effect in utero. However, researchers are pushing for the official caffeine intake guidelines for women to be lowered and recommend as little as possible for your baby’s optimal health