DAILY cups of tea in pregnancy can boost babies’ brains, a study suggests.
Toddlers whose mums had brews every day throughout the nine months were better at learning, thinking and general movement.
Pregnant woman who drink cups of tea can boost their babies’ brains, research found[/caption]
But the scientists found no significant association between coffee consumption and child development.
Researchers used play tasks and parent questionnaires to compare three-year-olds whose mums had drunk tea during different stages of pregnancy, or not at all.
There was no noticeable effect on babies whose mums had tea only in the first trimester.
Those whose mums drank a tea daily in the second trimester — 13 to 28 weeks — had better fine motor skills, such as writing, and better cognitive skills.
Those who had it from 28 weeks to birth saw higher brain power and mobility in tots.
But kids whose mums had a brew throughout scored best.
Researchers were not able to determine which ingredient in the tea was responsible for the boost.
But the Chinese team said mums-to-be should stick within recommended caffeine limits.
The NHS suggests not to have more than 200mg of caffeine a day — with 75mg in a cup of tea and 100mg in an instant coffee.
What does the NHS say about exercise in pregnancy?
The NHS states: “The more active and fit you are during pregnancy, the easier it will be for you to adapt to your changing shape and weight gain. It will also help you to cope with labour.”
It tells women to keep up with exercise for as long as comfortable and that this is not dangerous for the baby.
The NHS tips are:
- Do not exhaust yourself. You may need to slow down as your pregnancy progresses or if your maternity team advises you to. If in doubt, consult your maternity team.
- As a general rule, you should be able to hold a conversation as you exercise when pregnant. If you become breathless as you talk, then you’re probably exercising too strenuously.
- If you were not active before you got pregnant, do not suddenly take up strenuous exercise.
- If you start an aerobic exercise programme (such as running, swimming, cycling or aerobics classes), tell the instructor that you’re pregnant.
- Always warm up before exercising, and cool down afterwards
- Try to keep active on a daily basis – 30 minutes of walking each day can be enough, but if you cannot manage that, any amount is better than nothing
- Avoid any strenuous exercise in hot weather
- Drink plenty of water and other fluids
- You might like to try swimming because the water will support your increased weight. Some local swimming pools provide aqua-natal classes with qualified instructors.
- Exercises that have a risk of falling, such as horse riding, downhill skiing, ice hockey, gymnastics and cycling, should only be done with caution. Falls carry a risk of damage to your baby
