Alcohol and Pregnancy - new advice to be issued...

[Kitsilano]

www.channel4.com/news/articles/society/health/glass+of+wine+ok+while+pregnant/902662

Final ly some sensible, evidence based advice.

Pregnant women can safely drink a small glass of wine each day, official advice is set to say.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) has produced draft guidance stating that pregnant women can consume up to 1.5 units of alcohol a day after the first three months of pregnancy.

The recommendation contradicts the Department of Health, which in May advised pregnant women and those trying to conceive to cut alcohol altogether rather than limit it.

Nice said there was "no consistent evidence" to show a small amount of alcohol damaged unborn children.

The guidelines are out for consultation and are due to be published in March.

A Nice spokesman said: "The experts developing this guideline have carried out a systematic review of all the evidence available on the risks of drinking alcohol in pregnancy.

"The recommendations in the draft guideline are based on this evidence.

"The experts have concluded that there is no consistent evidence of adverse effects from low to moderate alcohol during pregnancy (less than one drink or 1.5 units per day) but the evidence is probably not strong enough to rule out any risk."

Is there a reason you haven't copied the paragraph which makes it not sound so safe?

'The risks of birth defects, miscarriage and behavioural problems among children of drinking mothers were considered. The experts concluded women should avoid alcohol only during the first trimester, but said drinking led to a slightly higher risk of miscarriage.'

So I can have alcohol and risk an avoidable miscarriage, or no alcohol and be free of guilt should I still miscarry.
Know which I'll be doing.

Not intentionally actually - and I added a link to the whole thing. The recommendation will be that 1 small glass of wine a night in pregnancy is OK (though better avoided in first trimester).

I'm happy to see some recommednations that are based on assessment of actual research rather than on fears about the behaviour of a very small group of women who either don't know what a unit of alcohol is or choose to ignore it.

Interesting that they say about the first trimester. Isn't this when most people accidentally drink more then they're meant to because they don't yet realise that they are pregnant?

cantsleepwontsleep.....that sort of attitude does nothing to help women who have suffered from miscarriage, who already feel lilke it's their fault without something else to add to the guilt.

Ironically I think that's true. And I assume drink lots of coffee and smoke (if into that sort of thing) which also I believe slightly increase the risk of miscarriage.

I'd like to see some of the more popular brands of wine do some sort of giveaway of unit measures - the sort of thing you sometimes get on Schweppes bottles.

The problem with units as a guideline (or even the use of the phrase "small glass") is that I don't think many people really understand what that means. It would be interesting to me to see what exactly one unit of wine looks like in my fairly large wine glasses. Bet it's a lot more than I'd consider a glass of wine.

That's OT though. I'm glad they're giving out evidence-based advice and treating women like adults.

That was my reaction spookthief.

I actually measure out a small glass of wine using a measuring jug (sad I know) so that I'm not kidding myself and drinking more than is recommended. And yes I take into account the strength of the wine too.

Units of alcohol is incredibly simple - as long as you work in metric!

Multiply the volume/amount of drink in milliltres by percentage ABV, then divide by 1000.

So, 100mL of 10% wine is 1 unit.

As an example:
Aussie red is usually 14% and a standard home wine glass usually holds 175 - 250 mL so a glass of red wine would be 2.5 - 3.5 units. Rather more than a lot of people realise....

A bottle of the same wine (750 mL) would be 10.5 units.

It's a step in the right direction.

Driving a car or getting on a bus is probably more risky - have they banned leaving the house when pregnant in the US yet?

daisy - I am a woman who has suffered from miscarriage, and as a result, whilst ttc and pregnant with dd, I gave up alcohol and caffeine. I really don't see why it's such a big deal to go without for a few months (excepting people with a drink problem of course).

That said, this topic has been hotly debated by both myself and others sooooo many times on here, that I'm not going to get into it again.

Message withdrawn

The message is still mixed though.....[[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article2633668.ece this article in the Times) highlights just that.

(funnily enough, I've always enjoyed the odd beer or wine during my pregnancies, but wouldn't touch spirits as I think they are more dangerous / damagin )

The message is still mixed though.....this article in the Times highlights just that.

(funnily enough, I've always enjoyed the odd beer or wine during my pregnancies, but wouldn't touch spirits as I think they are more dangerous / damaging )

Can'tSleepwon'tSleep - I too suffered a miscarriage with my first pregnancy at 12 weeks and it made me subsequently very anxious. And of course you are perfectly entitled to change your dietary habits when pregnant in whatever way makes you feel better. But the evidence doesn't show that (after the first trimester which seems still open for debate)it is necessary for you or anyone else to do so.

And I don't think that women should be convinced that they MUST give up foods or drinks, or that they are doing so based on solid assessment of evidence,when that simply isn't the case.

Based on a better understanding of the actual risk (ie no more than for a non-pregnant person) I also haven't given up sushi in this pregnancy. And by the way this doesn't show that I have a FISH problem, any more than I have a drink problem.

A very useful book is The Panic Free Pregnancy which examines the research behind a lot of the things we are told to avoid during pregnancy and provides information as to actual risks and consequences. As an anxious pregnant person this has helped me to make more informed decisions without martyring myself uneccesarily.

Just had to lol at fish problem Kits .
(I wasn't a martyr btw - not a big drinker to start with, and had a very happy, healthy pregnancy, so it was no biggie).
Wishing you a joyful pregnancy too.

Thanks Can'tSleepWon'tSleep . Not sure if you are currently pregnant but if so - you too!

Sorry cantsleep.....I suppose I'm just sensitive as I've had 2 miscarriages myself.

I am very pleased that there is at last some sensible, reasoned advice and that if I manage to get beyond 12 weeks pregnancy when I next conceive I will not be treated like a child murderer when I occasionally have a glass of wine when out ( a small one obviously).

I've had 3 m/c. Each of these pregnancies I gave up alcohol and cut down caffeine intake (don't smoke). Ironically, when I conceived ds I was drinking and clubbing around the clock. Did stop when I found out, and had 1-2 units per week during the 2nd and 3rd trimester. It was one of the few pleasures I had to look forward to after a stressful week at work, and lets face it 9 months is a long time to wait for a reward! At the time, 1-2 units was a safe limit in pregnancy. That was in 2003. The latest advice, in a way, is even more liberal as they are saying a unit a day is ok - not just a unit or 2 a week.

Ladylush - 1.5 units a day - even MORE liberal!

Indeed