No safe amount of alcohol drinking during pregnancy, new study shows

New research has indicated that there is no safe amount of alcohol that can be consumed by mothers during pregnancy.

A study from Binghamton University – State University of New York has analysed lab rats and produced evidence that any amount of alcohol exposure during pregnancy can cause a significant and lasting health impact on the child.

For this study, pregnant rats were exposed to ethyl alcohol vapour for a six-hour period on their 12th day of gestation, with no other alcohol exposure during pregnancy. It was found that even this small-to-moderate amount of alcohol exposure resulted in significant amounts of anxiety in the offspring, which lasted through adolescence and into adulthood. 

These anxiety effects were most apparent in male rats during adolescence, but the trend was reversed in adulthood, with male rats showing reduced anxiety while females remained unaffected.

Marvin Diaz, assistant professor of psychology at Binghamton University, said: "There's been a lot of media coverage on whether there's a safe amount of alcohol to drink. This study shows that there isn't."

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