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In Pregnancy NO Alcohol is a "Safe Level"
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Medpagetoday.com REPORTS HERE that "any alcohol consumption during pregnancy -- especially during the second half of the first trimester -- puts the newborn at risk for fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), results of a study showed."

"For every additional drink a day on average during those early months, there were increased risks of 25% for smooth philtrum, 22% for thin vermilion, 12% for microcephaly, 16% for lower birth weight, and 18% for reduced birth length .…"

"There were similar findings for each additional episode of binge drinking and each additional drink in the maximum number consumed per occasion, the authors noted in the study …."
"Although FAS was first identified in 1973, little is known about the specific dose and timing of exposure to alcohol that increases the risk for birth defects. To further clarify the issue, researchers undertook a prospective study involving 992 women."

"When women consuming one or more drinks per day were compared to those consuming less during the first trimester, higher risk was seen with higher dose for microcephaly, thin vermillion border, and smooth philtrum, as well as reduced birth length and weight. These outcomes did not exclusively occur in the higher-dose group, the researchers noted."

"During the second trimester, significant associations were seen with smooth philtrum, and weight and length. By the last trimester, only birth length was associated with average drinks per day and maximum number at one occasion."

"Higher prenatal exposure to alcohol was significantly associated with incidence of smooth philtrum, but not with short palpebral fissures. The strongest associations were found during the second half of the first trimester in both average drinks per day and maximum number of drinks in one episode .…"

"Based on our findings, there is no safe threshold for alcohol consumption during pregnancy with respect to selected alcohol-related physical features," the authors concluded. "Women who are of childbearing age and who are contemplating or at risk for becoming pregnant should be encouraged to avoid drinking, and women who are pregnant should abstain from alcohol throughout the pregnancy."


 
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Original clinical study reports, which contain far more detail than published randomized trials, should be made available to independent researchers seeking to verify efficacy and safety claims.

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