| While it has long been accepted that consuming large | | | | information however, one major UK body has |
| amounts of alcohol during a pregnancy can be | | | | suggested that it is quite all right for women to drink |
| extremely harmful to the unborn baby, recent | | | | lightly during the second and third trimesters, but |
| research is showing that consuming a small amount | | | | advocate complete abstinence in the first. |
| of wine during pregnancy does not seem to be | | | | With this information, it seems that women, who |
| harmful, and in some cases, might even be beneficial. | | | | wish to drink a small amount of wine during |
| It seems that there is a lot of conflicting information | | | | pregnancy, can do so without worrying about doing |
| out there, and it leaves pregnant women wondering: | | | | their unborn child harm. Since the health benefits of |
| is wine safe to drink during their pregnancy? | | | | drinking moderate amounts of red wine have been |
| A recent UK study looked at cognitive and behavioral | | | | well-documented, some women may not wish to |
| issues in 3-year-old children and interviewed their | | | | give it up altogether during pregnancy. Of course, if |
| mothers as to alcohol usage during the pregnancy. As | | | | you have any misgivings at all, it's probably best to |
| expected, the children of those who drank heavily | | | | abstain altogether. |
| showed the biggest behavioral problems and lapses in | | | | When in doubt, feel free to ask your doctor, is wine |
| cognitive ability. What was surprising however was | | | | safe? Chances are, she will have her own opinion on |
| that those mothers who consumed small amounts of | | | | the matter, and will be happy to share her reasons |
| wine during pregnancy had children who performed | | | | with you. A good OB/GYN will stay current on the |
| better than those who had abstained altogether. | | | | latest research and will be able to apply it to your |
| For the purposes of the study, a small amount, or | | | | situation. As with so many other things, the matter |
| light drinking was classified as no more than two small | | | | of drinking wine during pregnancy seems to be |
| drinks (4 oz. of wine, or 10 oz. of weak beer) on one | | | | resolved with the idea that moderation is key. If you |
| occasion, and no more than two occasions occurring | | | | have any doubts at all about your ability to limit |
| per week. The study found no difference in effects | | | | yourself to two or less small glasses no more than |
| between women who drank these small amounts | | | | twice a week, you might consider abstaining |
| somewhat regularly, and those who drank once or | | | | altogether. If that is in any way a problem, don't |
| twice during the course of their pregnancy. | | | | hesitate to talk to your doctor. |
| Since this study is relatively new, major policy-making | | | | Drinking wine during pregnancy is not necessarily a |
| bodies in the UK, as well as those in the US, still | | | | bad thing, so if you can exercise moderation, you can |
| recommend drinking no wine during pregnancy, just | | | | probably do it in a safe manner. |
| to be on the safe side. In light of the new | | | | |