The fact that heavy drinking is harmful during pregnancy is widely known but there is still some confusion as to whether any alcohol at all is a good idea when you're expecting. Arlene Harris reports.
There was a time when it wasn't unusual to see a pregnant woman with a drink in her hand - and in fact, expectant women were advised that a certain alcoholic beverage was 'good for you' and your unborn baby.
But times changed as did medical advice, which urged women to stay away from alcohol for the duration of their pregnancy. Then came the conflicting advice stating that it was fine to have a glass or two of wine, particularly during the last trimester.
Now, the latest research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the US is advising women not only to cut out alcohol completely when they become pregnant, but to stop drinking as soon as they start trying for a baby.
However, despite the conflicting advice, it seems that most women continue to drink a certain amount of alcohol both before and during pregnancy.
"Up to 80pc of women consume some level during pregnancy, irrespective of age and educational status," says Professor Louise Kenny.
She and her colleagues at UCC have found that heavy consumption of alcohol is detrimental to the unborn baby but results of the effect of low-level drinking is still uncertain. "Studies of heavy alcohol exposure (typically defined as more than seven drinks per week or an average of one drink per day) during pregnancy have illustrated substantial effects on growth and cognitive outcomes from birth throughout childhood," she says.
Source: Arlene Harris, Irish Independent, 24/02/16
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