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Drinking alcohol is one of many items on a historic list of ‘Things Not To Do’ while pregnant, but a new study challenges that assumption. Researchers at the University of London determined that if a mother consumes the occasional glass of alcohol in the early stages of pregnancy, there is little to no effect on a child’s mental development.
The study was submitted to BJOG, the International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Professor Yvonne Kelly and her team of researchers tested the abilities of over 10 000 children from across the United Kingdom, whose mothers occasionally drank while pregnant or abstained altogether.
According to Kelly, 57 percent of the study participants abstained from drinking at all, while 23 percent were classified as light drinkers – in that they enjoyed one pint or a single serving glass of spirits once a week. The team remained in contact with these mothers after they gave birth, asking parents to assess their child’s development at nine months of age, and again at age seven. After comparing the behaviour and educational development skills of the children, the researchers found few differences.
“We know heavy drinking during pregnancy has a very deleterious effect, but it is very unlikely that drinking small amounts will have an impact,” says Professor Kelly. “It doesn’t seem biologically plausible that small amounts of alcohol would affect development either way.”
Despite the results of the study, abstaining altogether is still the safest option. The exact level of alcohol which causes adverse behaviour and birth defects is still unknown, and Kelly advises mothers to avoid drinking alcohol wherever possible – but shouldn’t be overly concerned if they consume very small portions.