A recent study published in the journal "Alcohol Clinical and Experimental Research" suggests that even low to moderate alcohol consumption during pregnancy may lead to subtle alterations in prenatal development of babies.
Lead researcher Bakhireva highlighted that the study's exploratory analyses indicated a more notable impact on gestational age among male infants, while effects on birth length were stronger in females. However, she cautioned that these findings should be interpreted carefully due to limitations in statistical power for sex-specific analyses and the complexity of accounting for other contributing factors.
While extensive research has focused on the prenatal effects of heavy alcohol consumption, defined as 14 drinks per week or more, and binge drinking, defined as four drinks or more per occasion, the study aimed to shed light on the impacts of more moderate alcohol exposure, which is more common.
According to Bakhireva, the early stages of pregnancy are crucial for fetal organ development, making this period particularly vulnerable to alcohol exposure. She noted that many individuals consume alcohol before realizing they are pregnant, and risky drinking patterns before conception can predict continued drinking during pregnancy.
Despite most participants reducing or ceasing alcohol consumption upon learning of their pregnancy, deficits were still observed in both male and female infants. Bakhireva stressed the importance of larger studies involving diverse samples to replicate and further investigate these findings, particularly regarding sex-specific effects.
