Decades ago women smoked and drank alcohol during pregnancy. Not because they wanted to injure their babies, but because there wasn’t enough research to show that alcohol and tobacco use were harmful to an unborn baby. In other words, they didn’t know any better. In fact, your mom may have smoked, or enjoyed a daily nightcap while she was pregnant with you and you were a healthy baby, right?
Now we know better. We know that everything we put into our bodies while we are pregnant, has a direct effect on our unborn baby. Still, there have been many rumors and myths in regard to the safety of drinking minimal amounts of red wine during pregnancy. Some women have been told that it was not just okay, but healthy – while others have been told that it is a complete no-no and ALL alcohol should be avoided.
Still today, even with the studies of fetal alcohol syndrome (which involves large amount of alcohol consumption) many women are still confused. Some doctors today say yay, while others say nay. “The problem with drinking alcohol during your pregnancy is that there is no amount that has been proven to be safe,” says Jacques Moritz, MD, director of gynecology at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital in New York. Additionally, David Garry, DO, associate professor of clinical obstetrics and gynecology at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and chair of the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Task Force for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists District II/NY, agrees. He says that researchers don’t know enough about the potential effects of drinking alcohol at particular times during the pregnancy to be able to say that any time is really safe. It’s also difficult to predict the impact of drinking on any given pregnancy because some women have higher levels of the enzyme that breaks down alcohol.
So, is red wine safe during pregnancy? If you are considering that glass of red wine – then the best thing for you to do is talk to your doctor first and see what he or she says. Without knowing ALL the facts about the effects of alcohol, even in small amounts, during pregnancy – avoidance is perhaps the best answer to the question. Nine months is a short period of time to give up alcohol!
The human body and the miracle of pregnancy is something that will never be fully, 100% understood. Learn as much as you can about your growing baby. Taking risks may just not be worth it!
Written By Stef, Mom of 4 @Momspirational
This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general information basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice. All contents copyright © Health & Parenting Ltd 2017. All rights reserved.
