Should You Drink Red Wine if You are Pregnant?

Red Wine Pregnant Debate

There is something of an urban myth that it is acceptable for women to drink red while while pregnant. The majority of this belief may well come from the fact that there are many known health benefits attributed to red wine, and thus women naturally assume these benefits will be passed on if a pregnant woman continues to drink red wine during her pregnant.

The medical community, however, remains divided over the issue of whether women should be able to drink red wine in pregnancy. Some doctors are fervently against the idea, insisting that women are endangering their unborn child should they drink any alcohol whatsoever during the pregnancy. These doctors argue that there is proof that even a small amount of alcohol consumption can lead to problems in the child, the most common being a low birth weight.

The findings of these studies, however, are subjective. Many supporters of women drinking red wine during pregnancy point out that it could just be chance that those interviewed for these studies who do drink wine during pregnancy go on to give birth to children with a low birth weight; as plenty of women who do not drink and are otherwise healthy also have low weight children. This effect works the same way, as many women who do drink during pregnancy have perfectly healthy babies who are at an optimum weight upon birth.

The pro red wine medical group insist that a small glass occasionally during pregnancy may be beneficial to women, rather than have an adverse effects on the child. These doctors insist that stress is a large problem for pregnant women, which in itself can harm an unborn child and lead to birth defects. Therefore, doctors suggest small glasses of wine can help women relax, and as long as the amount consumed is small, there is no risk to the baby.

It would seem that if you consulted five doctors over the issue of women drinking red wine while pregnant, you would most likely get five different answers. So is there anything these medical professionals do agree on?

If you are going to drink red wine during pregnancy, keep it moderate. A small glass once a week should be the maximum, and actually getting drunk is completely barred by all medical professionals. There is a known link between women drinking when pregnant and babies that are unwell at birth, though there is much debate on the regularity of this and just how much alcohol is too much. It is probably better to be safe than sorry, and if you do drink, do so in moderation.

Another important thing to remember is that even the most staunch supporting doctors of the red wine group, say that red wine should only be consumed after the first three months of pregnancy – and preferably not until the third trimester. The reasons given for this are simply; by age six months, much of the development of a foetus is already complete, so if there were to be any ill effects from the alcohol it would be minimal.

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