Newspaper report in The Mercury, Tasmania, 28 January 1998

Too much coffee linked to SIDS

Medical researchers claim to have found a link between cot death and a
woman's intake of caffeine during pregnancy. A report in The Times said
that women who drink three or more cups of coffee a day while pregnant
could double the chance of their baby succumbing to sudden infant death
syndrome (SIDS). Other drinks containing caffeine, such as tea and cola,
might also increase the risk if consumed too much.

Researchers from the Community Paediatric Unit at Christchurch, New
Zealand, published their results yesterday but said more work was needed
to confirm the findings. The researchers interviewed the mothers of 393
New Zealand babies who had died suddenly in infancy and found that heavy
caffeine consumption was twice as high in this group than among mothers
whose babies were alive and healthy, The Times said.

The research was done before a decline in cot death in the early 1990s
when parents were advised to put their babies to sleep on the backs.
Researchers said that the caffeine crossed the placental barrier which
protects babies in the womb. Caffeine withdr al at birth could induce a
condition where breathing stops temporarily. Other withdrawal symptoms
could include irritability, jitters and vomiting.