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Boozing while pregnant OK?

Written by: QMI Agency
Jun. 20, 2012

(SHUTTERSTOCK)

New research has found moms who had up to eight drinks per week while pregnant had no significant effect on their children's IQ and attention span.

Danish researchers studied 1,628 women early in their pregnancy and tested their children at the age of five.

In a series of five papers, scientists looked at the weekly alcohol consumption of moms to be. They were classified as low, one to four drinks; moderate, five to eight drinks; binge drinkers, five or more drinks in one sitting; and non-drinkers.

The definition of one drink, in these studies, was equivalent to 12 grams of pure alcohol.

(In Canada, one standard drink contains 13.6 grams of pure alcohol).

They studied the effects of liquor on the children's IQ, attention span, self-control, as well as planning and organization skills.

Overall, the researchers said, they found low to moderate weekly drinking, and binge drinking, didn't have adverse effects on the children.

However, researchers found pregnant women who drank nine or more drinks per week had children with lower attention spans compared to the kids with mothers who didn't drink during pregnancy.

Despite the results, the authors are quick to advise women to avoid liquor while pregnant.

"High prenatal exposure to alcohol has consistently been associated with adverse effects on neurodevelopment," they wrote.

Experts said more research is needed to look at the long-term impacts.

The studies were published Wednesday in the British International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

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