Drinking during pregnancy
Drinking during pregnancy is a controversial subject that draws different opinions among researchers and medical practitioners. Many articles and research findings have been published, giving conflicting information on whether or not it is safe to consume alcohol during pregnancy. These contradictory findings are posing a significant challenge to pregnant women seeking some clarification on this topic. But, is it safe to take alcohol during pregnancy? And if so, what is the amount that can be deemed safe to drink? Despite claims stating that there is a lack of sufficient medical evidence, alcohol consumption during pregnancy should be avoided as it is dangerous to the health of the fetus. Notably, there is no medically-approved safe amount of consumption that a pregnant woman can drink, and it is associated with fetal alcohol syndrome disorders.
Despite some experts advising that alcohol consumption during pregnancy should be very light, there still is no consensus on the healthy amount of alcohol that the woman can take. This lack of consensus is the reason why many medical practitioners are advising women that the best option during pregnancy is total abstinence from alcohol consumption. According to Paddock (2012), a study conducted by the University of California on the effects of alcohol consumption during pregnancy revealed that no level of alcohol is safe to drink during pregnancy. The results of the study showed that every pattern of alcohol consumption had a significant link to increased risks of low birth weight, smooth philtrum, and microcephaly. Besides, the study notes that every increase in the amount of alcohol taken results in a corresponding rise in the risk of fetal disorders (Paddock, 2012). Therefore, pregnant women should abstain from alcohol consumption and give their babies a chance for healthy development.
However, a section of medical scholars and experts refute this position, arguing that there is minimal evidence to prove that light alcohol consumption during pregnancy has a direct link to fetal alcohol syndrome. In their view, the abstinence advice is not entirely fact-based, but it is only a precautionary approach. In this regard, Roberts (2015) notes that a guideline from the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence states that after the first three months of pregnancy, there is no evidence to show that light alcohol consumption can hurt the baby. The guideline posits that a maximum of two units taken twice a week should be safe for the baby. For a 4.5% lager, a unit equals half a pint, while for spirits, a unit amounts to a 25-milliliter single measure (Roberts, 2015). Besides, the BMJ Publishing Group (n.d.) also points to the limited evidence showing the harmful effects of drinking during pregnancy, with a notable lack of quality research data. Despite claims that only heavy drinking leads to fetal alcohol syndrome, there is also no medical evidence to prove that light drinking does not cause the same problem.
Alcohol consumption during pregnancy can cause fetal alcohol syndrome. Notably, a fetus that has been exposed to alcohol in the mother’s blood can develop mental and physical problems. According to Carroll (2019), the physical and psychological effects include reduced birth weight, interrupted growth, heart problems, damage to the brain and kidneys, difficulties communicating, and low intelligence quotient. Some of these complications can persist throughout one’s lifetime. Moreover, a study conducted by Rutgers University (2019) found that high alcohol levels during pregnancy can change a baby’s DNA. The research also noted that babies who had been exposed to alcohol in the womb had higher levels of cortisol stress hormone, which can lead to immune system suppression (Rutgers University, 2019). Therefore, these findings clearly show the dangers of alcohol consumption during pregnancy and why many experts advise total abstinence.
Proponents of alcohol consumption during pregnancy have a different view on the matter. They argue that the studies that have been carried out on this issue are biased and only focus on the harmful effects, overshadowing the beneficial ones. According to Brooks (2010), research has established that children born to women who consumed alcohol lightly during pregnancy show more positive behavioral patterns. Besides, Boseley (2008) states that new research has found male children born to mothers who were light drinkers during pregnancy showed better behaviors and got higher scores in tests. Therefore, the proponents contend that the problem is not drinking during pregnancy. Instead, fetal alcohol syndrome results from heavy drinking, with the emphasis being on the amount. As such, their position on this debate is that women can drink during pregnancy. However, the opinion is not authoritative as long as there is no hard scientific evidence on the safe amount of alcohol a pregnant woman can consume. In as much as there could be benefits of light drinking during pregnancy, the health risks far outweigh them.
Alcohol consumption during pregnancy should be avoided as there are no medically-proven safe ways of doing it. Although various scholars and experts support light drinking, there is no clear line between what is deemed light or heavy drinking, concerning fetal health. There is, however, a consensus that alcohol causes fetal alcohol syndrome, even though some researchers claim that light consumption may not cause it and can offer benefits to the child. Nonetheless, the risks outweigh the benefits, as evident from credible studies. Accordingly, abstinence should be considered the only safe option by pregnant women to guarantee the health of their unborn babies, until there is evidence to prove otherwise.