research papers alcohol pregnancy

I. Alcohol metabolism in a mother's body and her fetusAlcohol consumption in any amount by pregnant women cannot be considered safe for the fetus. Although a causal linkage between the quantity and duration of alcohol consumption, phase of pregnancy, and fetotoxic effect has not yet been established, there is no room for doubt that the concept of low risk and responsible drinking does not apply to pregnant women. The fetus is safest when the mother abstains from drink. However, it is estimated that more than 10 percent of women choose to continue drinking during pregnancy. When alcohol is consumed, it is absorbed into the bloodstream through the digestive tract, and acetaldehyde is formed mainly by the oxidation of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) in the liver. Then acetaldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) converts this acetaldehyde to acetic acid. Acetic acid undergoes several and complex routes, and is finally broken down into H2O and CO2 which are discharged to the outside of the body. The alcohol metabolism of a pregnant woman is much depressed compared with that of a non-pregnant woman, as estrogens largely inhibit the activity of ADH and ALDH, especially estradiol, one of three principle forms of estrogens, which has the strongest effect. Moreover, the total amount of estrogens in the serum of a pregnant woman in the early stages of pregnancy will increase by 10 - 100 times compared to that of a non-pregnant woman, and in mid to late pregnancy, increase by 100 - 1000 times. This affects the alcohol metabolism of a pregnant woman, and each of the three main estrogens exhibit relatively more volatility. In terms of the alcohol metabolism in the body, there is no feedback mechanism and the metabolic rate is stable, 7g per hour. Generally, each of one medium size of bottle of beer (500ml), one goh of Japanese sake (180ml), two glasses of wine (240ml), two fifth goh of shochu.
Low to Moderate Alcohol Use During Pregnancy and the Risk ofSpecific Neurodevelopmental Effects in Five Year-Old ChildrenThe Lifestyle During Pregnancy Study examined a subset of five-year-old children and their mothers from the Danish National Birth Cohort. The study investigated three neurodevelopmental effects in five-year-old children whose mothers reported drinking low to moderate amounts of alcohol* during pregnancy. The purposes of this study, funded in part by CDC through a cooperative agreement, were to (1) gain a better understanding of how different amounts of alcohol can affect child development, (2) improve study methods to better understand the less obvious effects of low to moderate prenatal alcohol use, and (3) address some of the challenges with measuring subtle effects of drinking alcohol on neurodevelopment.Main findings from this study:BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology has published five papers from the Lifestyle During Pregnancy Study which examined three specific neurodevelopmental outcomes in five-year-old children whose mothers reported drinking low to moderate amounts of alcohol during pregnancy. The findings, specific to the outcomes of intelligence, attention, executive function†, and in combination with each other, were as follows:Drinking low to moderate amounts of alcohol during pregnancy did not predict intelligence scores and was not associated with decreased intelligence scores for five-year-old children. In addition, no association was found between binge drinking early in pregnancy and child intelligence except that women who binged in gestational weeks 1-2 were less likely to have children with low IQ. This latter finding has not been reported previously in the literature.Drinking low to moderate amounts of alcohol during pregnancy was not associated with attention skills for five-year-old children.
Alcohol During Pregnancy New Warnings as Even Low & Moderate Use of Alcohol During Pregnancy is Found to Cause Subtle Learning and Behavior Problems in Children Information Compiled by Wayne Sinclair, M.D., Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, Vero Beach, FL Richard W. Presinger, M.Ed. Tampa, Florida CHEM-TOX.COM Alcohol - Pregnancy Research Index Click Title to View Article Summary Below is a listing of what we have found to be the most significant research articles on the effects of alcohol upon the developing embryo and fetus during pregnancy INTRODUCTION TO ALCOHOL USE DURING PREGNANACY - What is Safe? Unfortunately, there are still a few physicians today who believe that low levels of alcohol will not harm the fetus.  Some even suggest that one glass of wine is OK during pregnancy.  Their assumptions are based upon the fact that low levels of alcohol do not appear to cause any increased risk of physical malformations to the fetus. Although, this line of thought is correct, more recent research shows birth defects can also take the form of something other than a visual physical abnormality such as a malformed leg, arm or finger.  In fact, another type of birth defect not usually associated with the term birth defects is called a neurological defect and can occur from subtle alterations in brain organization or chemistry during pregnancy.   The consequences of such a defect can appear later as a behavior problem, learning disability, attention deficit disorder, hyperactivity, aggression, violent tendencies, impulsivity or even reduced personality and increased shyness.  Any of these traits could then be considered a neurological birth defect -.if the personality trait resulted because of altered neurological development due to an environmental exposure during pregnancy. Figures reported by Dr. Nancy L. Day, of the University of Pittsburgh show at least one reason why.