Women who occasionally drink alcohol during pregnancy do not run an increased risk of having children with behavioural problems. Such the conclusion of Dr. Kelly from University College London, after epidemiologic research involving 12 500 three-year old children of light drinkers.

However, specialists warn that this finding should not give any false sense of security when drinking during pregnancy.

The connection between heavy alcohol drinking and the health of the child is established. In serious cases this may lead to miscarriage or stillbirth or permanent damage to the growing unborn child. In the worst case children may be born with “foetal alcohol syndrome”, with abnormalities of physical and mental development.

During the research at the London University College the mothers were questioned about their alcohol consumption during pregnancy when the babies were nine months old. The category with a consumption not exceeding two drinks per week was regarded as light, while three to six units per week, or three to five units together, belonged to the moderate drinkers. Six units per week or six units one after the other passed the heavy drinking mark. Whereas 63% of the mothers drank no alcohol at all during pregnancy, 29% had been light drinkers, 6% moderate and 2% heavy.

When the children were three years old the researchers returned with questions concerning the children’s behaviour and mental capacities. The results of the study showed that boys of light drinkers were 40% less at risk for behavioural problems and were 30% less prone to hyperactivity than the children of mothers who drank no alcohol at all. They even scored better in tests on vocabulary and the recognition of colours, shapes, letters and numbers. Girls of light drinkers were 30% less at risk of emotional problems than the daughters of total abstainers. This however, according to the researchers, may have more to do with the familial or social backgrounds. The researchers found that the light drinkers were probably better educated and from more affluent homes and had also probably smoked less during pregnancy than the total abstainers.

Dr. Kelly concludes from the research that light drinking during pregnancy certainly does not increase the risk of behavioural and cognitive problems among children. Nevertheless, the most important message, now as before, is that it is best not to drink any alcohol during pregnancy, although the odd occasional glass will not do any harm.

  |terug|mail|print|top|