If you are a wine drinker, like my husband and I are, you may have been very confused by the information out there regarding pregnancy and consumption. We always thought that a glass of red wine was ok, but is that a myth or is there any data to support that claim?
We thought that we would take a minute to explore what the real scoop is. Here is what we found:
According to WebMd (data from the National Institute of Health), NO alcohol consumption is good for your baby and may cause fetal alcohol syndrome:
http://www.webmd.com/baby/guide/drinking-alcohol
Flying right in the face of this information is an article from Wine Spectator, detailing several studies (Univ. of Oxford, Univ. of London, etc.) that seem to argue this and almost promote the effects of wine during pregnancy. Although there is also some CYA on this matter, as you can see below:
"Britain's National Health Service released a statement in response: "Official advice regarding drinking during pregnancy should not be ignored on the basis of this study. As there are known risks associated with heavy drinking during pregnancy and given that it is proving so difficult for studies to determine what lower limit is safe, women could just as well avoid alcohol during their pregnancy."
http://www.winespectator.com/Wine/Features/0,1197,4697,00.html
And for the tie breaker, we found an article posted on the American Academy of Pediatrics website. Their stance also agrees with the National Institute of Health in that no alcohol consumption is good during pregnancy:
http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/pediatrics;106/2/358
So, even for a oenophile like myself, this decision is fairly easy. Am I going to trust Wine Spectator or am I going to trust the AAP and National Institute of Health? I think that I'll choose Wine Spectator for my next glass of Merlot and leave this one up to the pros!
What the heck, it's only nine months, right?
Bonne chance!
Patsy Champagne
Owner of Champagne Baby
www.champagnebaby.com
