Can sugar substitutes cause problems during pregnancy?
The Food and Drug Administration and the American Academy of Pediatrics agree that aspartame and saccharin are safe, but unless you have diabetes and need to control your sugar intake, there is no good reason to consume artificial sweeteners. To be safe, limit diet drinks to one a day. However, if you are pregnant and are disgnosed with hyperphenylalanine (high levels of the amino acid phenylalanine—a component of aspartame—in your bloodstream), you should stop using the product immediately, as excessive levels of this amino acid can cause brain damage. People with the genetic disease phenylketonuria (PKU) or advanced liver disease should also avoid aspartame.