New research by University College London (UCL) says 'light' drinking during pregnancy does not harm a young child’s behavioural or intellectual development. However 'light' drinking meant only 1 or 2 units a week or at any one time; less than 'moderate' drinking which was classed as 3 to 6 units a week or 3 to 5 at any one time.
See the report 'Light drinking during pregnancy: still no increased risk for socioemotional difficulties or cognitive deficits at 5 years of age?' [pdf]
Advice over drinking when pregant has been somewhat controversial, with official NHS advice advocating a message of avoiding alcohol altogether. A spokesperson for the Department of Health said that its advice would remain unchanged to avoid confusion among pregnant women:
"After assessing the available evidence, we cannot say with confidence that drinking during pregnancy is safe and will not harm your baby...Therefore, as a precautionary measure, our advice to pregnant women and women trying to conceive is to avoid alcohol."
Chris Sorek, the chief executive of alcohol awareness charity Drinkaware, also urged caution stating:
"Despite these findings, it is important to remember that 'light drinking' can mean different things to different people.
"Excessive drinking during pregnancy can carry serious consequences and lifelong damage to children and should be avoided."
NICE advises women to avoid drinking in the first three months of pregnancy especially, due to increased risk of miscarriage.
See news stories here from the BBC, The Guardian and a Radio 4 report.
If a woman cannot abstain for 9 months from alcohol, and is compelled to drink, perhaps there is a problem there. Abstinence for such a short period of time should not be a problem, and the inability to stop drinking for the health of a child might indicate addictive tendencies.
Posted by: Addiction Blog - Lee | Thursday, October 07, 2010 at 01:58 PM