Study: Any Level Of Drinking, Smoking While Pregnant May Affect Newborn ’ s Brain Development

(CNN) — If you’re stressed or wanting to enjoy virtual happy hour with friends while pregnant, having a glass of wine every so often may seem like a relaxing plan. But that behavior runs counter to a study published Tuesday in the journal JAMA Network Open. Researchers found drinking or smoking of any level while pregnant — from low to high, and even if you quit early — influenced the brain development of the mothers’ newborns. Negative long-term effects of excessive prenatal alcohol or tobacco exposure (or both), increase the risk for multiple adverse outcomes, researchers observed. Prenatal alcohol exposure is the leading cause of preventable intellectual disability, the study said, and smoking during pregnancy is one of the most modifiable causes of post-birth disease and death. However, public health hasn’t yet determined a safe level of alcohol or tobacco use during pregnancy, the study said. So the authors examined the link between prenatal exposure to alcohol and tobacco smoking and brain activity in newborns. They didn’t find a safe, conclusive level, but the findings suggested drinking or smoking in early stages and then quitting, or doing so at low, moderate or high levels all impacted newborn brain development. Those who drank alcohol then quit in the first trimester had an average of nine drinks during that time period. A low level of alcohol is defined for the study’s purposes as two standard drinks on average during the fi...
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