Pregnancy and living found to be incompatible

From the Globe and Mail, Too much caffeine raises risk of miscarriage:

New research warning expectant mothers against drinking too much coffee during pregnancy is adding further fuel to the heated debate over the role caffeine plays in a woman’s risk of miscarriage.

Pregnant women who consume more than 200 milligrams of caffeine, or more than two regular cups of coffee, on a daily basis are twice as likely to suffer a miscarriage as those who consume none, according to a study by the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research.

The researchers interviewed 1,063 women and found that 12.5 per cent of participants who reported no caffeine intake suffered miscarriages, compared with 25.5 per cent of women who said they consumed more than 200 milligrams a day.

In a related study, researchers found that engaging in a variety of practices collectively known as as “the finer things in life” while pregnant – a list that includes sex, laughter, most foods with flavour, and sunshine – slightly increased the possibility of having a baby with an abnormally large head and/or unusually small genitalia.

As a result, pregnant women are now being advised to spend the nine months of their pregnancy in a darkened room eating rice flavoured with water and avoiding all human contact.