IS MILD-MODERATE DRINKING IN PREGNANCY HARMLESS? NEW EXPERIMENTAL EVIDENCE TO THE OPPOSITE

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Justin Chan
Gideon Koren

Keywords

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Abstract

During the last decade a growing number of studies have failed to detect adverse neurodevelopmental effects of mild –to moderate maternal drinking in the exposed child, supporting a climate that “some drinking in pregnancy is OK”.
A recent experimental study in sheep, mimicking conditions of moderate drinking in the third trimester of pregnancy, provides powerful evidence that there are serious lifelong risks to fetal exposure to alcohol. These should serve as an alarm call to those who legitimize mild-moderate maternal drinking based on incomplete data.

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