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.
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.