Moms-to-be are advised not to drink any alcoholic beverages throughout their pregnancy especially in the first three months. Also, women who are trying to conceive must not drink alcohol, a new guidance recommends.
In the past, pregnant women are allowed to drink one to two units of alcohol in a week. However, a new guidance was released from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (RCOG). They say that there is no proven safe amount of alcohol that women can drink during pregnancy. Though they say that drinking alcohol after the first trimester might not be harmful, they are recommending cutting out all alcohol throughout pregnancy to be safe.
This new recommendation is the same as the guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
During pregnancy, alcohol can pass through the placenta to the baby in the womb. WebMD reports that it can affect the baby or fetus growing in the uterus. Also, if consumed in the first trimester or during conception, may increase the chance of miscarriage.
Furthermore, The Express UK reports that drinking alcohol in the first trimester may lead to fetal growth restriction, increase the risk of stillbirth and premature labor.
Chairwoman of the RCOG's Patient Information Committee, Philippa Marsden, said in a statement, "For women planning a family, it is advisable not to drink during this time. Either partner drinking heavily can make it more difficult to conceive."
She added, "During early pregnancy, the safest approach is to abstain from alcohol and after the first trimester keep within the recommended amounts if you do decide to have an alcohol drink. The same applies for women who decide to breastfeed."
In the new guidelines by the RCOG, it says, "It is also often difficult to work out just how much you are drinking, especially if you have a drink at home. The only way to be certain that your baby is not harmed by alcohol is not to drink at all during pregnancy or while breastfeeding."
It also states that, "Drinking more than the recommended amount of alcohol in pregnancy can cause fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). Children with FASD can have learning difficulties, problems with behaviour, physical disability, and emotional and psychiatric problems that last a lifetime."
