Light Drinking during Pregnancy not Linked to Behavioral Problems in Children: Study

Light drinking during pregnancy is not linked to adverse behavioral or neurological development in children, says a study.

The research was based on data from more than 10,000 children from the U.K and included children whose mothers had either abstained from alcohol during pregnancy or were light drinkers.

Researchers found that there was little difference in the neurological development of the kids, showing that light drinking may not affect the growth of the baby.

"There appears to be no increased risk of negative impacts of light drinking in pregnancy on behavioral or cognitive development in 7-year-old children," said Professor Yvonne Kelly, from the University College London, and co-author of the study, according to a new release.

A recent study had found that heavy alcohol use during pregnancy shrinks the child's brain. According to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) survey, one in 13 pregnant women in the U.S. admit to drinking alcohol, with many going on binge drinking.

In the present study, children belonging to mothers who drank lightly during pregnancy did have lower levels of behavioral difficulties such as hyperactivity or attention disorders, when compared with children whose mothers abstained from alcohol. However, the differences  weren't significant.

"These findings, that drinking not more than one or two units of alcohol per week during pregnancy is not linked to developmental problems in early-mid childhood, are consistent with current UK Department of Health guidelines," said John Thorp, BJOG Deputy-Editor-in-Chief. "However, it remains unclear as to what level of alcohol consumption may have adverse outcomes so this should not alter current advice and if women are worried about consumption levels the safest option would be to abstain from drinking during pregnancy."

The study is published in the journal BJOG.