Study: Alcohol not safe at any time during pregnancy

San Diego, CA, United States (AHN) – A study on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome has found there is no safe amount of drinking during pregnancy.

The study appeared online Jan. 16, ahead of publication in the April print issue of the journal Alcoholism Clinical & Experimental Research. Study authors say it is one of the first to examine the impact of quantity, frequency and timing of alcohol exposure on the condition.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome affects about 1 percent of the American population. It can result in physical, behavioral and learning problems. It can also cause abnormal facial features, such as a smooth ridge between the nose and upper lip, small head size, small set eyes and shorter than average height.

The study looked at 992 women enrolled in the California Teratogen Information Service and Clinical Research Program between 1978 and 2005. The women were monitored and provided confidential risk assessments for any potential toxin exposures during pregnancy.

Participants were asked every three months during their pregnancy about alcohol and other substances, including special dates of use, drinks per day, number of binge episodes and maximum number of drinks.

Later, information about their babies’ development was examined.

Among the findings were that higher levels of alcohol exposure were strongly linked to a greater risk of infants born smaller and weighing less, with small heads and a smooth ridge between the nose and upper lip. The most significant associations were observed during the second half of the first trimester of pregnancy.

For every one drink increase in the daily average number of drinks consumed during the second half of the first trimester of pregnancy, researchers found a 25 percent higher risk for an infant to have a smooth ridge between the nose and upper lip; a 22 percent higher risk of having an abnormally thin upper lip; a 12 percent raised risk of having a smaller than average head; a 16 percent greater risk of lighter birth weight; and an 18 percent higher chance of shorter birth length.

The researchers say the findings show there is no safe amount or time period in which pregnant women can safely consume alcohol. Study authors also surmise that alcohol exposure in the first six weeks of pregnancy, when may women don’t know they are pregnant, may result in higher miscarriage rates, although the study did not include women who had miscarriages or stillbirth.

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