Alcohol and Pregnancy (January 02, 2008)
Moderation is the key in pregnancy
Nobody knows how much - or how little - alcohol can harm a developing baby, so some health experts (including the Royal College of Physicians, and more recently, the Department of Health) recommend that pregnant women play it safe by steering clear of alcohol. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) recommends a limit of one or two units of alcohol, once or twice per week.
The truth is we don't really know what a safe level of alcohol consumption is for a pregnant woman - and it's probably different for every woman because everyone metabolises alcohol differently. The effects of alcohol are greater in women who smoke, drink large amounts of drinks containing caffeine, and have a poor diet.
What are the proven risks?
Scientists do know that drinking on a regular basis affects a developing baby. When you drink alcohol, it rapidly reaches your baby through your bloodstream and across the placenta.
Women who drink over six units of alcohol per day are at risk of having babies with fetal alcohol syndrome(FAS). Children born with FAS suffer from mental and growth retardation, behavioural problems, and facial and heart defects.
Babies of women who drink more than two glasses of alcohol a day throughout their pregnancy are more likely to have more problems with learning speech, attention span, language, and hyperactivity than babies of women who did not drink. This collection of characteristics is known as Fetal Alcohol Effects (FAE). Although less severe than FAS, the effects of FAE are still harmful.
How much is a unit of alcohol?
One unit of alcohol is approximately equivalent to:
• half a pint of ordinary strength beer, lager, or cider
• a quarter of a pint of strong beer or lager
• one small glass of wine
• one single measure of spirits
• one small glass of sherry
Don't forget that most people who pour drinks at home tend to be generous with their measures. You may well find that a glass of wine drunk at home is twice the size of a glass of wine drunk in a pub.
Is occasional drinking safe?
Researchers don't know what a few drinks over a short period early in pregnancy can do to a developing child. But the experts argue that caution is the wisest course, so once you know you're pregnant, it's best to avoid alcohol or keep to the amounts recommended above. It may be better yet to give up drinking before getting pregnant. But if you didn't, try not to worry. Thousands of women have had a drink or two before they knew they were pregnant and their babies have been fine.
What can I drink instead?
Avoiding or cutting down on alcohol may be easy if, like many women, you develop a dislike for it early in your pregnancy. But if you tend to use alcohol to unwind, giving it up may require more effort.
Try experimenting by replacing a glass of beer or wine with other stress-reducing pleasures such as a warm bath, soft music, a massage, exercise, or reading. If you miss the ritual of drinking, try replacing that Bloody Mary with a virgin variety, or switch to a non-alcoholic beer or wine during your evening meal.
If your partner enjoys a drink after work, consider asking him to abstain for a time so you won't feel deprived.
If you think you may have a drinking problem, talk with your doctor or midwife for more advice. Or, for confidential help and support in your area, look in your telephone directory, or contact Drinkline on 0800 917 8282.
Trying to conceive
If you are trying to get pregnant, you need to be aware that the amount you drink can reduce your fertility and ability to conceive. Excessive drinking, especially getting drunk, can even lead to a miscarriage in the early stages of pregnancy. The safest approach is to reduce your alcohol consumption. So if you're trying to become pregnant, drink no more than one or two units of alcohol once or twice a week and avoid getting drunk.
If you are pregnant
When a pregnant woman drinks alcohol, the alcohol passes through the placenta and can affect the baby's development. This happens throughout the pregnancy, not just in the first few weeks. Excessive drinking can lead to low weight at birth and can also affect the physical and mental development of the child. Getting drunk is particularly risky. The advice is avoid getting drunk and drink no more than one or two units once or twice a week. One UK unit contains eight grams of pure alcohol and it's the strength and size of a drink that determines how many units it has.
Alcohol and breastfeeding
Alcohol passes to the baby in small amounts in breast milk. The milk will smell different to the baby and may affect their feeding, sleeping or digestion. The best advice is to avoid drinking shortly before a baby's feed. Whether you're breastfeeding or not, the recommended daily benchmark for women of between two and three units of alcohol a day is a useful guide. The benchmark applies whether you drink every day, once or twice a week, or occasionally.
Heavy drinking during pregnancy can affect the development of the foetus. This condition is known as Foetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). Click here to return to the News page |
