While most health organizations recommend complete abstinence from alcohol during pregnancy, some people believe that occasional low-level alcohol consumption does not cause serious problems for the baby and helps the mother to cope with stress. The distinction between abstinence and light drinking is the point of tension and confusion for health professionals around the world, with public health guidelines varying in different countries. However, recent studies show that there is no safe level of maternal drinking. Hicks and Tough (2009, 407) claim that “the impact of low-dose prenatal alcohol exposure appears to be clinically significant, and in human studies and animal models, low doses of alcohol have been associated with attention, memory, behavior and information-processing deficits.” There are no solid reasons for the mother to drink alcohol during pregnancy, and, as the safe dose is hard to establish, total abstinence is considered to be the most reasonable recommendation.
When a pregnant woman drinks alcohol, it passes directly to the baby. Its liver is not fully formed and lacks the ability to process alcohol, which causes liver damage and a range of serious long-term health problems. The most severe type of alcohol-related disorder is fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), with symptoms including organ malformations, vision and hearing problems, growth deficiency, intellectual disability, cognitive impairment, hyperactivity, attention deficits, and others. If not treated, FAS can result in life-long consequences for an individual’s physical and intellectual development, behavior, sexuality, and mental health.
Pregnant women most often drink alcohol to cope with stress and negative emotions, guided by the idea that stress during pregnancy should be avoided. Prenatal development studies show that a high level of maternal stress increases the risk of preterm birth and health problems for the baby (Lilliecreutz et al. 2016). However, alcohol is proved to increase the feelings of depression and anxiety rather than lower the level of stress (Blaine & Sinha 2017). Health professionals recommend using other ways of dealing with stress, especially during pregnancy, such as yoga, meditation, walks, baths, as well as breathing and relaxation techniques. Regardless of the level of alcohol consumption, it can cause health problems for the baby and should be avoided. The benefits of lowered stress levels by the mother do not outweigh the risks for the baby.
References
Blaine, Sara, and Rajita Sinha. 2017. “Alcohol, Stress, and Glucocorticoids: From Risk to Dependence and Relapse in Alcohol Use Disorders.” Neuropharmacology 122: 136–147.
Hicks, Matthew, and Suzanne Tough. 2009. “Importance of Complete Abstinence from Alcohol During Pregnancy: Enough Evidence for Justification?” Expert Review of Obstetrics & Gynecology 4 (4): 401–414.
Lilliecreutz, Caroline, Johanna Laren, Sydsjo Gunilla, and Ann Josefsson. 2016. “Effect of Maternal Stress During Pregnancy on the Risk for Preterm Birth.” BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth 16.