Study links alcohol use during pregnancy to birth abnormalities

alcohol use during pregnancy (representative image)

VoM News Desk | April 5, 2024 | 10:51 PM IST | Health | Follow on Google News

Study links alcohol use during pregnancy to birth abnormalities

Study links alcohol use during pregnancy to birth abnormalities

Researchers have discovered that low to moderate alcohol consumption by pregnant individuals may lead to subtle changes in prenatal development in their babies. The study, published in the journal ‘Alcohol Clinical and Experimental Research,’ found that the impact on gestational age was more pronounced in male infants, while the effect on birth length was stronger in females, according to Bakhireva, one of the researchers.

However, Bakhireva cautioned that these findings should be interpreted carefully due to the study’s limited statistical power for sex-specific analyses and the complexities in accounting for other contributing factors. While extensive research exists on the prenatal effects of heavy alcohol use, the study focused on more moderate alcohol exposure, which is more prevalent.

The study underscores the critical nature of early pregnancy for fetal organ formation, making it a vulnerable period for alcohol exposure. Despite most participants reducing or ceasing alcohol consumption upon discovering pregnancy, deficits were still observed in both male and female infants. Bakhireva stresses the importance of larger, nationwide studies to validate these findings and further explore sex-specific effects.

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