The authors confessed this was a shortcoming of the study,” Mendelson said. “It’s also very hard to capture content on alcohol consumption during pregnancy because there’s such a taboo associated with it. Moms were asked about their drinking habits at the end of their nine month pregnancy. It is based on recall so that’s always a problem – especially getting people to recall consumption, whether it’s alcohol or food, it’s very hard to capture that,” she told Global News. Rena Mendelson, a Ryerson University nutrition professor with more than 40 years of experience in the field, notes a flaw in the study’s methodology. There are insufficient data to suggest a safe threshold for fetal alcohol exposure,” Koren said in his 2004 study.ĭr. Sound bite: “Women should be advised to abstain from alcohol during pregnancy. It is, therefore, surprising that Canadian women and many family physicians still believe that women can continue to drink during pregnancy,” he said in his study’s synopsis. “A safe threshold for maternal alcohol intake has not yet been established, and virtually all medical societies and expert groups addressing this issue strongly recommend abstaining from alcohol during pregnancy. He notes in a study that physicians suggest that mild, occasional drinking is safe, but that measurement isn’t backed by science. Gideon Koren, of Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto, has studied the controversial subject for decades. The federal agency suggests that women avoid all types of alcohol: beer, wine, cocktails, coolers, hard liquors and even hard ciders.ĭr.
The Public Health Agency of Canada, for example, argues that “no one knows how much alcohol it takes to harm a developing baby.” On the other end of the spectrum are health officials’ warnings to stay away from alcohol while you’re pregnant.
Sound bite: “We know heavy drinking during pregnancy has a very deleterious effect, but it is very unlikely that drinking small amounts will have an impact,” study co-author Yvonne Kelly told BBC News. It’s defined as consuming up to two units of alcohol a week – a unit is about half a pint of beer or a single measure or a glass of red wine, according to Drink Aware in the United Kingdom.
The research suggests that “light drinking” is safe. The study even suggests that boys born to “light drinkers” had slightly fewer behavioural problems and higher reading skills, Time reports. Turns out, there was no difference between the kids if their moms drank or abstained from alcohol at the time they were pregnant. Meanwhile, moms were asked about their alcohol consumption while they were pregnant. They also looked at issues such as hyperactivity, and attention deficit disorder. Through questionnaires, and interviews with the parents and the kids’ teachers, scientists pieced together how the kids were doing with school performance in math, reading and spatial skills. The British study tracked the health of 10,534 seven-year-olds and their mothers in the United Kingdom. Global News takes a look at the study’s findings, the counter-arguments and the verdict from a Canadian expert. Last week, headlines surfaced following the report’s release suggesting that “light drinking” during pregnancy isn’t harmful to babies.
The research is adding to a growing collection of literature that is contrary to public health officials’ steadfast advice to stay away from alcohol while pregnant. The latest study, conducted by British researchers at University College London, is suggesting that expectant moms can consume small amounts of alcohol without putting their developing babies at risk – about two units of alcohol a week. TORONTO – Scientists are slowly changing their stance on the health hazards of sipping on small amounts of alcohol while pregnant. Send this page to someone via email email.
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