A new study released in Western Australia last week says that a glass or two of wine is not harmful for expectant mothers and their unborn children, but is expected to spark controversy as the national body guidelines claim no amount of alcohol is safe during pregnancy.
The new guidelines about to be released by the National Health and Medical Research Council in Australia say that since no safe level of alcohol has been demonstrated in pregnancy, not drinking is the safest option.
A study of more than 4700 pregnant women in WA found that low levels of alcohol consumption during pregnancy - less than seven standard drinks a week and no more than two drinks at a time - were not associated with preterm birth or reduced fetal growth.
But the findings,a part of which was reported earlier in delWine, published in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology say even one binge drinking session in which more than five drinks are consumed - can adversely affect pregnancies.
The researchers, from the Centre for Child Health Research at the University of WA, say moderate and high levels of drinking in early pregnancy are linked with an increased risk of preterm birth, even when women stop drinking before the second trimester.
The findings suggest pregnant women should be screened for binge drinking to evaluate the risks to the baby.
A few recent studies in Europe have already cleared up to 4 drinks a week, and not more than one a day as safe for pregnant mothers and is the recommended norm in Denmark. A similar pattern has been observed in Italy where one glass of wine a few times during the week is the normal practice.
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