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Written By: Agencies | Published : October 7, 2015 11:54 AM IST
Alcohol is not essential to the health or well being of a pregnant woman and is known to be harmful to her baby, argue researchers Mary Mather and Kate Wiles. They say the only ethical advice that can be given is complete abstinence from alcohol in pregnancy. Infants can suffer from fetal alcohol syndrome, mental retardation, development and behavioural abnormalities, and low birth weight. But how and when fetal damage occurs is unknown and will vary according to each individual pregnancy, they explain. Here s how alcohol consumption during pregnancy can make your child dull.
Pregnant women must know there is no evidence of a threshold level of alcohol consumption in pregnancy below which there can be certainty that exposure is safe, they argue, adding that current guidance flies in the face of evidence and international consensus and that these present a contradictory, confusing barrage of mixed messages. The Department of Health, NICE and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) make inconsistent suggestions on the number of alcohol units that are safe for pregnant women. (Read: Why it s good for pregnant women to skip that drink)
Furthermore, few pregnant women or healthcare professionals understand what a unit of alcohol means and choose to drink is open to misinterpretation. Many pregnant women drink alcohol during pregnancy and put their babies at risk, they say. Meanwhile, many countries including Canada, Denmark, Norway, Australia, Ireland, the Netherlands and Scotland advise against alcohol consumption completely. Guidelines need to be clear, consistent and acknowledge that no evidence shows that alcohol consumption below a certain level is safe, they argue. Until this is provided, pregnant women in England and Wales will remain unable to make an informed choice about their use of alcohol in pregnancy. The study appears in The BMJ. (Read: One more reason why women shouldn t drink during pregnancy)
Source: ANI
Photo source: Getty images
