DOES LIGHT DRINKING DURING PREGNANCY IMPROVE PREGNANCY OUTCOME? A CRITICAL COMMENTARY
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Keywords
DOES LIGHT DRINKING, PREGNANCY, CRITICAL COMMENTARY
Abstract
A recent study published from the University College London suggests that children of women who were light drinkers during pregnancy demonstrate better cognitive outcome at three years of age when compared to children of abstinent women based on data from the UK Millennium Cohort Study. Unfortunately, methodological pitfalls and limited external validity of the results presented make conclusions very tenuous. This paper was widely quoted by the media, sometimes concluding that drinking is beneficial. At the present state of knowledge, the poor quality of this study may cause more damage than benefit, as demonstrated by the media response.
References
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2. Steve Connor. Light drinking when pregnant may lead to calm babies, says study. Independent (2008). Accessed at http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/healthand-wellbeing/health-news/light-drinking-whenpregnant-may-lead-to-calm-babies-says-study980254.html
3. Sarah Boseley. Light drinking in pregnancy may be good for baby boys, says study: Researchers find fewer behavioural problems and higher test scores at age 3 Guardian (2008).Accessed at http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2008/oct /31/women-pregnancy-alchohol-birth-defects
4. Light drinking in pregnancy not linked with behaviour problems. Bupa News (2008). Accessed at http://www.bupa.co.uk/health_information/html/ health_news/061108_pregnancy_alcohol.html
5. Jones, K.L. et al. Pattern of malformation in offspring of chronic alcoholic mothers. Lancet 1, 1267-71(1973).
6. Jones KL, Smith DW. Recognition of the fetal alcohol syndrome in early infancy. Lancet 2, 999-1001(1973).
7. Symons J, White E. How much booze is bad for your baby? The Sun (2008).Accessed at: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/woman/ health/article964155.ece
8. Laurance J. Women who drink when pregnant 'have violent children'. Independent (2008).Accessed at: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/healthand-wellbeing/health-news/women-who-drinkwhen-pregnant -have-violent-children 811783.html
9. Mukherjee RAS, Hollins S, Turk J. Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder: an overview. J R Soc Med 99, 298-302(2006).
10. Bailey BN, et al. Prenatal exposure to binge drinking and cognitive and behavioral outcomes at age 7 years. Am J Obstet Gynecol 191, 103743(2004).
11. Olson HC, et al. Association of prenatal alcohol exposure with behavioral and learning problems in early adolescence. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 36, 1187-94(1997).
12. Sampson PD, et al. Neurobehavioral effects of prenatal alcohol: Part II. Partial least squares analysis. Neurotoxicol Teratol 11, 477-91.
13. Alvik A, et al. Alcohol consumption before and during pregnancy comparing concurrent and retrospective reports. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 30, 510-5(2006).
14. Ernhart CB, et al. Underreporting of alcohol use in pregnancy. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 12, 50611(1988).
15. Russell M, et al. Detecting risk drinking during pregnancy: a comparison of four screening questionnaires. Am J Public Health 86, 14359(1996).
16. Chudley AE, et al. Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder: Canadian guidelines for diagnosis. CMAJ 172, S1-S21(2005).
17. Wurst FM, et al. Measurement of direct ethanol metabolites suggests higher rate of alcohol use among pregnant women than found with the AUDIT--a pilot study in a population-based sample of Swedish women. Am J Obstet Gynecol 198, 407.e1-5(2008).
18. Pragst F, Yegles M. Determination of fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEE) and ethyl glucuronide (EtG) in hair: a promising way for retrospective detection of alcohol abuse during pregnancy? Ther Drug Monit 30, 255-63(2008).
19. Koren G, et al. Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. CMAJ 169; 1181-5(2003).
20. Chan D, et al. Recent developments in meconium and hair testing methods for the confirmation of gestational exposures to alcohol and tobacco smoke. Clin Biochem 37, 42938(2004).
21. Cornelius M, et al. Body Size and Intelligence in 6-year-olds: Are Offspring of Teenage Mothers at Risk? Matern Child Health J (2008).doi:10.1007/s10995-008-0399-0.
22. Bennett DS, Bendersky M, Lewis M. Children's cognitive ability from 4 to 9 years old as a function of prenatal cocaine exposure, environmental risk, and maternal verbal intelligence. Dev Psychol 44, 919-28(2008).
23. Tong S, et al. Socioeconomic position, maternal IQ, home environment, and cognitive development. J Pediatr 151, 284-8, 288.e1(2007).
2. Steve Connor. Light drinking when pregnant may lead to calm babies, says study. Independent (2008). Accessed at http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/healthand-wellbeing/health-news/light-drinking-whenpregnant-may-lead-to-calm-babies-says-study980254.html
3. Sarah Boseley. Light drinking in pregnancy may be good for baby boys, says study: Researchers find fewer behavioural problems and higher test scores at age 3 Guardian (2008).Accessed at http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2008/oct /31/women-pregnancy-alchohol-birth-defects
4. Light drinking in pregnancy not linked with behaviour problems. Bupa News (2008). Accessed at http://www.bupa.co.uk/health_information/html/ health_news/061108_pregnancy_alcohol.html
5. Jones, K.L. et al. Pattern of malformation in offspring of chronic alcoholic mothers. Lancet 1, 1267-71(1973).
6. Jones KL, Smith DW. Recognition of the fetal alcohol syndrome in early infancy. Lancet 2, 999-1001(1973).
7. Symons J, White E. How much booze is bad for your baby? The Sun (2008).Accessed at: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/woman/ health/article964155.ece
8. Laurance J. Women who drink when pregnant 'have violent children'. Independent (2008).Accessed at: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/healthand-wellbeing/health-news/women-who-drinkwhen-pregnant -have-violent-children 811783.html
9. Mukherjee RAS, Hollins S, Turk J. Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder: an overview. J R Soc Med 99, 298-302(2006).
10. Bailey BN, et al. Prenatal exposure to binge drinking and cognitive and behavioral outcomes at age 7 years. Am J Obstet Gynecol 191, 103743(2004).
11. Olson HC, et al. Association of prenatal alcohol exposure with behavioral and learning problems in early adolescence. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 36, 1187-94(1997).
12. Sampson PD, et al. Neurobehavioral effects of prenatal alcohol: Part II. Partial least squares analysis. Neurotoxicol Teratol 11, 477-91.
13. Alvik A, et al. Alcohol consumption before and during pregnancy comparing concurrent and retrospective reports. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 30, 510-5(2006).
14. Ernhart CB, et al. Underreporting of alcohol use in pregnancy. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 12, 50611(1988).
15. Russell M, et al. Detecting risk drinking during pregnancy: a comparison of four screening questionnaires. Am J Public Health 86, 14359(1996).
16. Chudley AE, et al. Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder: Canadian guidelines for diagnosis. CMAJ 172, S1-S21(2005).
17. Wurst FM, et al. Measurement of direct ethanol metabolites suggests higher rate of alcohol use among pregnant women than found with the AUDIT--a pilot study in a population-based sample of Swedish women. Am J Obstet Gynecol 198, 407.e1-5(2008).
18. Pragst F, Yegles M. Determination of fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEE) and ethyl glucuronide (EtG) in hair: a promising way for retrospective detection of alcohol abuse during pregnancy? Ther Drug Monit 30, 255-63(2008).
19. Koren G, et al. Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. CMAJ 169; 1181-5(2003).
20. Chan D, et al. Recent developments in meconium and hair testing methods for the confirmation of gestational exposures to alcohol and tobacco smoke. Clin Biochem 37, 42938(2004).
21. Cornelius M, et al. Body Size and Intelligence in 6-year-olds: Are Offspring of Teenage Mothers at Risk? Matern Child Health J (2008).doi:10.1007/s10995-008-0399-0.
22. Bennett DS, Bendersky M, Lewis M. Children's cognitive ability from 4 to 9 years old as a function of prenatal cocaine exposure, environmental risk, and maternal verbal intelligence. Dev Psychol 44, 919-28(2008).
23. Tong S, et al. Socioeconomic position, maternal IQ, home environment, and cognitive development. J Pediatr 151, 284-8, 288.e1(2007).
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Dec 8, 2018
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Gijsen, V., Fulga, N., Bournissen, F. G.-., & Koren, G. (2018). DOES LIGHT DRINKING DURING PREGNANCY IMPROVE PREGNANCY OUTCOME? A CRITICAL COMMENTARY. Journal of Population Therapeutics and Clinical Pharmacology, 15(3). Retrieved from https://jptcp.com/index.php/jptcp/article/view/231
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