Are Pregnancy and Wine Harmful?
Unfortunately there is no definite answer to the question “Are Pregnancy and
Wine Harmful?”. Two schools of thoughts about pregnancy and wine have developed
on the subject. One is no drinking whatsoever during pregnancy, not even if the
woman thinks she is pregnant or is trying to conceive. The other is a light to
moderate amount of wine consumption will not bother the baby and may even be
helpful in some ways.
The faction that condemns alcohol during pregnancy always point to Fetal Alcohol
Syndrome or FAS. FAS consists of mental and physical birth defects that may
include mental retardation, stunted growth, central nervous system problems,
craniofacial deformities, and behavior problems. Critics of pregnancy and wine
say that whatever the mother drinks, the baby does too. The alcohol blocks
normal cell development in the brain and other organs. Even drinking two glasses
of wine or less can be harmful and increase the risk of miscarriage and
stillbirth. Drinking can even reduce the chances of conceiving.
On the flip side, people who support pregnancy and wine drinking say that FAS
won’t happen if the mother limits her drinking. They say that studies that
supported the alcohol and FAS link are flawed because they defined heavy
drinking as women who drink more than one glass of wine a day. They cite studies
that show moderate drinking doesn’t cause FAS . They contend that FAS most often
happens to lower economic groups in large cities so there may be other factors
like pollution and poor nutrition. And when FAS does happen, it’s to the
children of women who abused alcohol. Moderate drinking may even help the
development of the child after birth. It can also protect against premature
birth by stopping unwanted uterine contractions. Doctors have provided data that
light drinkers have a better chance of having babies at the ideal birth weight
than those who don’t drink.
Some say that the no drinking during pregnancy campaigns are just to make
governments feel they are doing something when they are really accomplishing
nothing. There are other risky substances for fetuses besides alcohol such as
caffeine, chocolate and other items. Their conclusion is that an occasional
glass of wine or wine a couple of times a week with meals should not make
pregnant women feel guilty. There are two sides to the issue of pregnancy and
wine, and there are no clear answers.
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