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Drinking one or two glasses of wine a week during pregnancy can have an impact
on a child's IQ, a study says.
Researchers from Oxford and Bristol universities looked at the IQ scores of
4,000 children as well as recording the alcohol intake of their mothers.
They found "moderate" alcohol intake of one to six units a week during
pregnancy affected IQ.
Experts said the effect was small, but reinforced the need to avoid alcohol in
pregnancy.
Previous studies have produced inconsistent and confusing evidence on whether
low to moderate levels of alcohol are harmful in pregnancy, largely because it
is difficult to separate out other factors that may have an effect such as the
mother's age and education.
But this research, published in the PLOS One journal, ruled that out by looking
at changes in the genes that are not connected to social or lifestyle effects.
'Why take the risk?'
The study found that four genetic variants in alcohol-metabolising genes in
children and their mothers were strongly related to lower IQ at age eight.
On average, the child's IQ was almost two points lower per genetic modification
they possessed.
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I would recommend avoiding alcohol. Why take the risk?
Dr Ron Gray Oxford University
But this effect was only seen among the children of women who drank between one
and six drinks a week during pregnancy and not among women who abstained when
they were pregnant.
The researchers said although a causal effect could not be proven, the way they
had done the study strongly suggested that it was exposure to alcohol in the
womb that was responsible for the differences in child IQ.
Dr Ron Gray, from Oxford University, who led the research added that although
the differences appeared small, they may well be significant and that lower IQ
had been shown to be associated with being socially disadvantaged, having
poorer health and even dying younger.
"It is for individual women to decide whether or not to drink during pregnancy,
we just want to provide the evidence.
"But I would recommend avoiding alcohol. Why take the risk?"
A Department of Health spokesman said that since 2007 their advice had been
that women who are trying to conceive or are pregnant should avoid alcohol.
But Dr Clare Tower, consultant in obstetrics and fetal maternal medicine, at St
Mary's Hospital, Manchester, stressed that women who have had the occasional
alcoholic drink in pregnancy should not be overly alarmed by the findings.
"Current UK advice is that the safest course of action is abstinence during
pregnancy.
"The finding of this study would concur that this is undoubtedly the safest
advice."
But she pointed out that another recent study had found no effect on IQ at five
years.
"It is likely therefore, that any impact is likely small and not seen in all
women."