Yourwellness Magazine Follows Up Drinking During Pregnancy Warning
London, UK (PRWEB UK) 26 July 2013 -- The NHS face challenges tackling substance misuse due to confusing messages about how much alcohol is safe to drink in pregnancy, Public Health Wales warned last week (17th June). The health experts noted that drinking too much while expecting a baby can lead to miscarriage, low birth weight, learning disabilities and hyperactivity, but as it is not clear how much is “too much”, some women do not trust or follow advice, and so midwives need training to help pregnant women moderate drinking.
According to the UK government, women who are pregnant or who are trying to conceive should avoid alcohol entirely. Yet Public Health Wales said that the government concedes on the issue by saying that if women do choose to drink, they should limit consumption to no more than one to two units of alcohol once or twice a week. Karen Jewell, consultant midwife in public health in Cardiff, commented, “I think the government advice softens the message as perhaps people think there's not anything really wrong with drinking because they don't completely rule it out, but most midwives would say to stop completely.” (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-22933562)
With this in mind, Yourwellness Magazine investigated whether it is safe to drink a small glass of wine a week during pregnancy. Yourwellness Magazine found that children who are born to mothers who drink one small glass of wine a week during pregnancy could be less likely to suffer from cognitive complications. This is based on data from more than 10,000 seven year olds, who were tested for cognitive responses and were then analysed in conjunction with interviews and questionnaires carried out by their teachers and parents, based on their social and emotional behaviour.
Yourwellness Magazine commented, “The results of the study suggest that low level drinking is fairly safe with regards to the cognitive elements of development, but more in-depth study needs to take place in order to analyse the influence of a child’s environment on their intellectual development.” Yourwellness Magazine added that doctors still advise pregnant women to abstain from alcohol, or at least limit their intake to a maximum of two units a week.
To find out more, visit the gateway to living well at http://www.yourwellness.com, or read the latest issue online at http://latestissue.yourwellness.com.
Michael Kitt, Yourwellness Publishing Ltd, http://www.yourwellness.com, 0208 588 9553, [email protected]
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