Women who have one or two alcoholic drinks a week during pregnancy do not harm their children's behavioural or intellectual development.
Women who have one or two alcoholic drinks a week during pregnancy do not harm their children's behavioural or intellectual development.
The researchers described light drinking as about one or two drinks a week at the most. Light drinkers would also include women who have a very occasional drink at a family celebration for example. Previous studies have shown that heavy alcohol drinking during pregnancy can seriously harm the baby and many health authorities advise women to keep alcohol intake to a minimum when they are pregnant.
Researchers studied a representative sample of 11,513 children born between September 2000 and January 2002. The mothers were questioned about their drinking habits during pregnancy and their children's behaviour at the age of three, and the children's behavioural and intellectual progress was then formally assessed at the age of five. The women were classified either as teetotalers, those who drank but not in pregnancy, light drinkers (up to one or two drinks a week), moderate drinkers (three to six drinks a week); and binge or heavy drinkers (seven or more drinks a week, or six at any one time).
The researchers found that pregnant women who drank up to a glass (175 ml) of wine, up to 50 ml of spirits or just under a pint of beer a week did not affect their children. But children whose mothers were heavy drinkers were more likely to be hyperactive and have behavioural and emotional problems than those whose mothers did not drink during pregnancy. The findings help to fill a gap in scientific knowledge about the risks of alcohol and pregnancy, which has been mostly focused on risks of heavy drinking.
The results found no evidence to suggest that the behavioural or intellectual development of children born to light drinkers was compromised. According to the researchers, up to the age of five years there is no increased risk of poor socio-emotional or cognitive developmental outcomes in children born to mothers who drank not more than one or two units of alcohol per week during pregnancy.
The researchers described light drinking as about one or two drinks a week at the most. Light drinkers would also include women who have a very occasional drink at a family celebration for example. Previous studies have shown that heavy alcohol drinking during pregnancy can seriously harm the baby and many health authorities advise women to keep alcohol intake to a minimum when they are pregnant.
Researchers studied a representative sample of 11,513 children born between September 2000 and January 2002. The mothers were questioned about their drinking habits during pregnancy and their children's behaviour at the age of three, and the children's behavioural and intellectual progress was then formally assessed at the age of five. The women were classified either as teetotalers, those who drank but not in pregnancy, light drinkers (up to one or two drinks a week), moderate drinkers (three to six drinks a week); and binge or heavy drinkers (seven or more drinks a week, or six at any one time).
The researchers found that pregnant women who drank up to a glass (175 ml) of wine, up to 50 ml of spirits or just under a pint of beer a week did not affect their children. But children whose mothers were heavy drinkers were more likely to be hyperactive and have behavioural and emotional problems than those whose mothers did not drink during pregnancy. The findings help to fill a gap in scientific knowledge about the risks of alcohol and pregnancy, which has been mostly focused on risks of heavy drinking.
The results found no evidence to suggest that the behavioural or intellectual development of children born to light drinkers was compromised. According to the researchers, up to the age of five years there is no increased risk of poor socio-emotional or cognitive developmental outcomes in children born to mothers who drank not more than one or two units of alcohol per week during pregnancy.
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