Finnish health authority warns pregnant women about caffeine but paediatrician calls claims irresponsible
A regional health authority in Finland has raised concerns about caffeine consumption among expectant mothers, warning that it may remain in a baby’s system for months after birth. But a leading paediatrician has dismissed the claim as unfounded and accused the authority of irresponsibly stoking guilt among new mothers, Yle reports.
The South Ostrobothnia Wellbeing Services County (Etelä-Pohjanmaan hyvinvointialue) highlighted the issue in an Instagram post, linking increased caffeine intake—particularly from energy drinks—to rising reports of restless and sleepless infants in the Seinäjoki area. The authority claimed that because fetal metabolism cannot process caffeine as efficiently as an adult’s, the stimulant may persist in a newborn’s body for an extended period.
However, Dr. Lotta Immeli, a paediatrician and founder of the child health advocacy group Lääkäriliiga, condemned the warning as baseless. She told Yle that there is no scientific evidence supporting the idea that caffeine consumed during pregnancy lingers in infants for months.
“We have no reason to believe maternal caffeine intake would accumulate in babies for that long,” Immeli said. She argued that new mothers already face overwhelming guilt and criticised the authority for adding to their anxiety without justification. Immeli has formally requested that the wellbeing services county correct its statement.
Research suggests caffeine use among pregnant and breastfeeding women is rising, a trend confirmed by Anni Kukkonen, a licensed nutritionist and author of a recent doctoral thesis on the topic. Kukkonen noted that while newborns metabolise caffeine more slowly, leading to prolonged exposure, she agreed that avoiding caffeine “certainly doesn’t hurt” if an infant is unusually fussy or struggling with sleep patterns.
Caffeine is even used therapeutically in neonatal care, she added, where it is administered to preterm infants to treat apnoea (breathing interruptions). In such cases, exposure levels far exceed those from breastfeeding.
Dr. Tommi Vimpeli, a specialist at the South Ostrobothnia Wellbeing Services County, defended the authority’s decision to publicise the issue, citing the growing popularity of energy drinks. “This is something expectant mothers should be aware of,” he said, though he stressed that the authority’s role is to inform, not police behaviour. Vimpeli acknowledged the strong reaction to the post but suggested some critics may have misunderstood its intent. The authority later clarified that it did not aim to “blame” pregnant women, emphasising that its guidance was based on multidisciplinary research.
Energy drinks have surged in popularity over the past decade, particularly among young adults, many of whom are now reaching childbearing age. When asked why expectant mothers might turn to such drinks, Vimpeli replied, “If I knew the answer to why milk and water aren’t enough, I’d say so.”