” We are concerned that the findings from the UCL study may lull women into a false sense of security”
Dr Vivienne Nathanson
British Medical Association
The papers have been full of new research that shows that moderate drinking can mean that 3 and 4 year old boys have less behavioural problems than those born to mums that abstain.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7699579.stm
“Light drinking ‘no risk to baby’
By Caroline Parkinson
Health reporter, BBC News
Women who drink a small amount of alcohol while pregnant do not increase their child’s risk of behavioural problems, a study has suggested.
The University College London team classed “light” drinking as up to two drinks a week throughout pregnancy.
The study of 12,500 three-year-olds even found a lower risk of some problems in children of such drinkers.”
The NHS has a slightly less sensationalist view point:
http://www.nhs.uk/news/2008/10October/Pages/Pregnantwomenanddrinking.aspx
“What interpretations did the researchers draw from these results?
The researchers conclude that children born to mothers who drank up to 1 to 2 drinks per week or per occasion during pregnancy were not at increased risk of behavioural difficulties or cognitive deficits compared to mothers who didn’t drink anything during pregnancy. They say that while heaving drinking appears to be linked to behavioural problems at age three years, light drinking does not.
What does the NHS Knowledge Service make of this study?
This study – which analysed data from a large, ongoing cohort study – has concluded that light drinking doesn’t appear to lead to poorer cognitive or behavioural outcomes for children compared with no drinking. The study must be interpreted in light of the limitations associated with its methods:
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Lisa
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