Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, Vol 44, 297-301
Is there a fetal effect with low to moderate alcohol use before or during pregnancy?
I Walpole, S Zubrick and J Pontre
University Department of Paediatrics, Princess Margaret Hospital for Children, Perth, Western Australia.
STUDY OBJECTIVE--The aim was to investigate the effect of low or moderate
alcohol consumption upon fetal outcome. DESIGN--This was a prospective
randomised cohort study with mother and infant follow-up sample stratified
on level of maternal alcohol intake. SETTING--A large maternity hospital in
Western Australia. PARTICIPANTS--2002 randomly selected pregnant women were
recruited over a 3 year period for questionnaire survey (19 mothers refused
participation). From 665 women in a stratified subsample selected on the
basis of prepregnancy alcohol consumption, 605 newborns were available for
study. INVESTIGATION AND MAIN RESULTS--All 2002 women completed a
comprehensive questionnaire on demographic, lifestyle (including diet),
health, and obstetric factors. Of the 665 mothers who were followed through
pregnancy, 605 liveborns were available at birth for measurement and
detailed clinical evaluation. Low to moderate prepregnancy maternal alcohol
intake was not associated with any untoward effect upon weight, length,
head circumference at birth, or clinical well-being as indicated by Apgar
score, respiratory distress syndrome, and overall clinical state. Other
factors, particularly nicotine, were of much greater importance.
CONCLUSIONS--This study fails to show any significant relationship between
low to moderate prepregnancy maternal alcohol intake and newborn clinical
status. The outcome suggests that cautionary advice to pregnant women
warning that any alcohol taken during pregnancy is potentially harmful to
the fetus is inaccurate and therefore probably counterproductive.
Copyright © 1990 by the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
