Science / Medicine : Drinking During Pregnancy Studied

One drink a day during pregnancy does not harm newborns, according to a study in last week’s British Medical Journal. “We were unable to find anything in the children to suggest low levels of drinking is harmful,” said Dr. Charles du V Florey, the leading investigator at the University of Dundee in Scotland.

Scottish researchers asked 592 women attending antenatal clinics from 1985 to 1986 about their drinking habits before, during, and after pregnancy. They also asked about cigarette smoking and socioeconomic status. Three years later psychologists examined the toddlers.

Youngsters of mothers who did not drink and those who had fewer than 10 drinks a week scored about the same on both tests.

The most crucial factors are good nutrition and not smoking, Florey said. He said he would still advise pregnant women to stop drinking, but they should not worry about having a glass of wine now and then.

But Timothy Peters, at London’s King’s College, said his advice to women remains unchanged: “Don’t even think of drinking once you decide you want to be pregnant.”