‘Weak evidence’ light alcohol use in pregnancy harms

There is “surprisingly limited” evidence that light drinking during pregnancy poses any risk to the baby, say UK researchers.

They reviewed all the available studies done on the topic since the 1950s and found no convincing proof that a drink or two a week is harmful.

The Bristol University team stress this does not mean it is completely safe.

They say women should avoid all alcohol throughout pregnancy “just in case”, as per official guidelines.

But women who have had small amounts to drink in pregnancy should be reassured that they are unlikely to have harmed their baby. The Chief Medical Officer for the UK, Prof Dame Sally Davies, updated her advice last year to advocate total abstinence.

Before that, pregnant women had been told they could drink one or two units - equivalent to one or two small glasses of wine - a week.

There is no proven safe amount that women can drink during pregnancy, although the risks of drinking heavily in pregnancy are well known.

Getting drunk or binge drinking during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage and premature birth and can lead to mental and physical problems in the baby, called foetal alcohol syndrome. The risks associated with light drinking, however, are less clear. Dr Luisa Zuccolo and colleagues found 26 relevant studies on the topic.

Their review found no overwhelming proof of harm - but, in seven of the studies, light drinking was associated, on average, with an 8% higher risk of having a small baby, compared with drinking no alcohol at all.

The review, in BMJ Open, also notes it appeared to increase the risk of having a premature birth.

It is hoped the findings will help pregnant women make an informed choice about alcohol. Rachel Pearson from Devizes, Wiltshire, told the BBC she drank in moderation during both of her pregnancies:

“Having looked at the research, and seen that there was no evidence to back total abstinence, I drank a little through both but I felt conflicted about it. I stuck to the advice of one or two small drinks every week.” ”I didn’t feel a stigma or pressure from peers .I have friends who had a similar approach to me - and some who were ultra-cautious. ”However, I did notice on every bottle of wine there was a symbol of a pregnant woman with a line through it.

-BBC