No amount of alcohol should be considered safe to drink during any trimester of pregnancy, pediatricians are now saying.
A recent study found increased risk of infant-growth retardation even when a pregnant woman’s consumption was limited to one alcoholic drink per day (a one-and-a-half-ounce shot of distilled spirits, five ounces of wine or 12 ounces of beer), according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Prenatal exposure to alcohol is the leading preventable cause of birth defects and intellectual and neurodevelopmental disabilities in children. It is a frequent cause of structural or functional effects on the brain, heart, bones and spine, kidneys, vision and hearing and is associated with a higher incidence of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and specific learning disabilities such as difficulties with mathematics and language, visual-spatial functioning, impaired impulse control, information processing, memory skills, problem-solving, abstract reasoning and auditory comprehension.
The research suggests that the smartest choice for pregnant women is to abstain from alcohol completely.
