Light drinking during pregnancy isn’t related to any adverse behavioral or cognitive effects during childhood, according to new research published in the International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

In order to assess the impact that light drinking during pregnancy has on children, the researchers used data from the Millennium Cohort Study, a major study of infants conducted in the UK. Specifically, they wanted to see what the effect of light drinking during pregnancy might be on kids when they reached the age of 7.

It’s already established that heavy alcohol consumption during pregnancy can lead to serious developmental problems in kids. A previous study published in Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research revealed that being exposed to alcohol before birth may lead to behavioral problems later on. This study, however, is the first one to evaluate the outcome from low level consumption.

A total of 10,534 7-year-olds were included in the study. The researchers collected information about their social and emotional behavior from interviews and questionnaires conducted by parents or teachers. They also tested the children’s math, reading, and spatial skills.

57.1% of the mothers didn’t drink during pregnancy but did when they weren’t pregnant, 23.1% drank lightly during pregnancy, 12.7% never drank, and 7.2% drank more during pregnancy.

The team compared light drinkers during pregnancy with women who drank no alcohol at all, to see whether there was any difference in their kids’ development later on.

They found that children born to mothers who were light drinkers had more favorable (lower) behavioral difficulties scores than children whose mothers didn’t drink at all during pregnancy.

Boys born to light drinkers on average experienced fewer cases of behavioral problems.

In addition, kids born to mothers who drank lightly scored higher in cognitive tests compared to those whose mothers didn’t drink, especially among reading and spatial skills in boys.

However, it is important to note that the report concludes that while children born to light drinkers generally had more favorable developmental profiles, after statistical adjustment were made the differences were only marginal.

Professor Yvonne Kelly, co-director, ESRC International Centre for Lifecourse Studies (ICLS) at University College London, and co-author of the study said:

“There appears to be no increased risk of negative impacts of light drinking in pregnancy on behavioural or cognitive development in 7-year-old children.

We need to understand more about how children’s environments influence their behavioural and intellectual development. While we have followed these children for the first seven years of their lives, further research is needed to detect whether any adverse effects of low levels of alcohol consumption in pregnancy emerge later in childhood.”

John Thorp, BJOG Deputy-Editor-in-Chief, concluded “These findings, that drinking not more than one or two units of alcohol per week during pregnancy is not linked to developmental problems in early-mid childhood, are consistent with current UK Department of Health guidelines. However, it remains unclear as to what level of alcohol consumption may have adverse outcomes so this should not alter current advice and if women are worried about consumption levels the safest option would be to abstain from drinking during pregnancy.”

Written by Joseph Nordqvist