A pregnant mother who had been drinking loads of soft drinks and several energy drinks each day died of an epileptic seizure at 15 weeks into her pregnancy.
34-year-old Amy Louise Thorpe from New Zealand was a pregnant mum-of-three whose partner confirmed she’d been addicted to Coke and energy drinks rich in caffeine.
As Stuff has also reported, the woman was a heavy smoker and had consumed nearly three ounces of tobacco per week.
According to one of Amy’s friends who spoke to the investigators, the mum “had more energy drinks a day than people have coffee” on top of soft drinks.
Back in 2018, as Thorpe’s seizures began increasing, neurologist Graeme Hammond-Tooke advised the mother to undergo EEG monitoring or switch to different epilepsy medication.
Shortly after Thorpe failed to act based on the professional advice, however, she was found dead on her bed.
As Dr. Hammond-Tooke explained, it’s possible that increased amounts of caffeine contributed to Thorpe’s premature death.
“In the case of Ms. Thorpe, I think it is possible that excessive caffeine contributed to poor seizure control,” the doctor said.
“While modest intake of caffeine contained in drinks is not likely to affect seizure control, large amounts probably do increase seizures, and may have other adverse effects on health.”
While the doctor admitted that some studies showed caffeine increase could protect against seizures in certain cases, he said that other research suggests excessive caffeine contributes to seizure susceptibility.
As Ms. Thorpe’s coroner added, the mother’s case serves as a reminder of the potential consequences excessive caffeine intake may have on people with epilepsy.
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Replaced!