A study at the Harvard Medical School found that expectant mothers who drank at least three units of alcohol a day stunted their children’s growth for the next nine years.
“We found that children born to women who drank heavily during pregnancy had reductions in weight, height, and head circumference, an indicator of brain growth,” said author Dr. Robert Carter.
The growth restrictions caused by the mother’s alcohol consumption were present from birth until about the age of nine.
The researchers tested 85 pregnant women from a pre-natal clinic who were self-described as “heavy” drinkers and then compared them to 63 pregnant women who either did not drink or were described as “light” drinkers.
Although the heavy drinkers were advised to decrease their alcohol consumption, 17 of the women gave birth to children suffering from Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, the main cause of mental retardation in children.
What do YOU think HollyMoms? Is any amount of alcohol worth it?
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