If a pregnant woman consumes more than 500mg of caffeine per day, her baby’s heart rate and respiratory rate will increase, and it will take longer to develop. In addition, caffeine may cause fetal finger deformities, cleft palate and other malformations. Pregnant women who drink 3 cups of coffee per day during the first 3 months of pregnancy are 1.39-1.59 times more likely to have a fetus with congenital cleft lip if they consume more than 3 cups of coffee per day compared to pregnant women who do not drink coffee. In addition, caffeine can damage fetal DNA, making the fetus susceptible to leukemia, the most common form of cancer in children. The effects of caffeine on the fetus are not absolute and can only occur at a certain dose. So to eliminate any possible effects, it is best for pregnant women to avoid drinking coffee.