Pregnancy can be a confusing time

Pregnancy can be a confusing time

For glowing mums-to-be, especially the first timers out there, pregnancy is an incredibly confusing time. That doesn’t just mean rushing about worrying if you’re stocked up with enough nappies and baby formula.

Everyone knows expecting a child means nine months of aching backs, sleepless nights and crazy cravings for chips dipped in chocolate. It is also assumed that many of life’s little pleasures, like those Starbucks cappuccinos and a few double vodkas at the local, need to be sacrificed for the safety of the child.

However, recent guidelines published by NICE, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, have stated that it is safe for pregnant women to drink up to 1.5 units of alcohol a day after the first three months of pregnancy.

The report, which is not yet final, found that a small amount alcohol consumed had no adverse effects on the child.

This contradicts official government recommendations that pregnant women should not drink at all.

With such reliable and trusted sources providing conflicting information who should we be listening to? And what is the potential damage alcohol can do to an unborn child?

Maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy can lead to the development of Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders or FASD. These are mental and physical defects that otherwise would not occur. They can be lifelong conditions that seriously affect the child's quality of living.

The preventable FASD are often difficult for doctors to diagnose as they are simply dismissed as behavioural or learning disabilities.

Drinking excessively can also lead to miscarriage, still or premature births, poor growth in the womb or the baby being born too small

Doctor Vivienne Nathanson, Head of Science and Ethics at the British Medical Association, spoke out about the issue.

“Healthcare professionals need to get the message across to expectant mothers that consuming alcohol can cause irreversible harm to their unborn child,” she said. “It’s about giving people the right information so that they can act responsibly - and save children from completely preventable life-long disabilities.”

Of course, these are only in the most extreme cases and it is unlikely that any conscientious potential parents are going to be downing bottles of Smirnoff on a regular basis.

However, many expectant mums will be left confused and unsure about what is supposedly safe for them to drink. A more relaxed attitude towards drinking could get out of hand if the guidelines were misinterpreted. It can also be all too easy for women to misjudge how much they can consume as many wines and spirits have differing strengths.

So is the solution simply to take a hard-line no alcohol policy?

This also comes at a time when binge drinking, especially among women is on the increase in Britain.

More and more people are consuming unhealthy amounts of alcohol on nights out and there are worries that being told it is safe to continue drinking when pregnant may lead to irresponsibility.

Vivienne Nathanson said: “The UK has one of the highest levels of binge-drinking in Europe and the highest rate of teenage pregnancies in Western Europe. Many women will not know they are pregnant during the early part of pregnancy, during which time they may continue to drink in their pre-pregnancy fashion with no awareness of the risk to their unborn child.”

The NICE guideline states that up to 1.5 units a day is acceptable, so let’s put that into perspective. That is the equivalent of drinking a small 125ml glass of red or white wine or a bottled alcopop. Half a pint of strong cider or larger is also 1.5units. A single shot of spirits is just under.

This situation is not unlike previous confusion over the controversial MMR vaccine. The combined injection, which provides protection for children against measles, mumps and rubella, experienced a lot of media coverage after possible links between the vaccine and bowel cancer were exposed. This left many confused parents refusing to allow their child to receive the vaccination.

So what should mothers-to-be do? Unfortunately there is no crystal clear answer to this. It is really the responsibility of women to ensure they drink with care if they do decide to have the occasional tipple. The facts certainly do not suggest that the odd sip will do any damage.

However, the phrase ‘better to be safe than sorry’ seems to be the most popular option among those in the know.

Female First - Jacqueline Farrer