A recent British study suggested that limited alcohol consumption during pregnancy was not that bad for the baby. This study has been very controversial because it goes against all public health messages, which recommend not to drink alcohol when you are pregnant.
The debate is far from over because a new study, also British, published in Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, reminds us that pregnancy and alcohol do not really mix.
According to this new study, conducted by researchers at the University of Leeds (Great Britain), drinking even a little during pregnancy increases the risk of premature birth.
As Camilla Nykjaer, one of the researchers, explains, “We don’t want to worry about women who are currently pregnant and have been drinking alcohol. But if she wants to give herself every chance to make it to the end of their pregnancy, they shouldn’t drink at all. “
For its part, the National health service (the Department of Health of Great Britain) advises pregnant women who want to continue to frequent the pub from time to time, not to allow themselves more than a pint of beer, two times per week.
Alcohol and pregnancy: how it goes
Alcohol passes from maternal blood to fetal blood through the placenta. A glass of wine (or a pint of beer) consumed by a pregnant woman causes as much alcohol in her baby’s blood as in her own, while the fetal liver and kidney are not able to remove alcohol. .
The current recommendation is not to consume any drink of alcohol during pregnancy. The Academy of Medicine recommends total weaning during pregnancy but also even before conception.
