Alcohol Use Among Pregnant Women

Alcohol Use Among Pregnant Women The January 2015 issue of Annals of Epidemiology features an article that discusses the relationship between birth outcomes and prenatal alcohol exposure. The results of this study suggest that low-to-moderate alcohol exposure during early and late gestation is not associated with increased risk of low birth weight, preterm delivery, or other negative birth outcomes. However, media sources have broadly interpreted the findings to mean that limited alcohol consumption during pregnancy presents no risks at all to the developing fetus. SAMHSA's new FASD in Review balances the findings with the need to consider broader outcomes, including growth and cognitive, behavioral, and neurological functioning over time. Taking this broader view, current public health policy remains unchanged and continues to stress that no alcohol use is proven to be safe during pregnancy. Read the Summary | Get the Free Abstract or Purchase