Some light drinking allowed in pregnancy

TULSA, Okla., Dec. 16 (UPI) -- Heavy drinking during pregnancy can hurt the baby's intellectual and physical development but some doctors allow light drinking, U.S. researchers say.

Michael Gardner, a maternal fetal medicine specialist at the University of Oklahoma School of Community Medicine, said drinking during pregnancy is an area of intense study and heavy drinking can lead to fetal alcohol syndrome, so generally it's recommended pregnant women stay away from alcohol, the Tulsa (Okla.) World reported.

However, Gardner said pregnant women shouldn't worry about an occasional drink for a special occasion or worry if they drank lightly before they knew they were pregnant.

Of much more a concern is a pregnant women smokes cigarettes or does meth, both significant risks for a fetus, Gardner said.

Last May, a study published in the BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology said light drinking in the first trimester did not affect the behavior of 2,370 children and two more studies back up these findings, but other researchers dispute the findings, the World reported.