The “growing” evidence of the bottle and the bump: how does alcohol use during pregnancy affect infant and childhood growth?

Abstract

“Guinness is good for you!” And it’s not just Guinness who, in the past, peddled this message as part of their global advertising campaign! In fact, pregnant women in Ireland were once advised to drink a glass of Guinness a day to fortify themselves and their babies! Although a practice that has been completely abandoned since the 1980s and one which would surely cause a stir today, it is astonishing to ever imagine pregnant women consuming alcohol on the recommendation of their doctor or midwife. Indeed, clinical trials of the potential use of alcohol to prevent preterm birth were on-going up until the 1970s, and some health professionals used alcohol for this purpose in obstetric practice. These days there is a greater focus on the harmful effect of alcohol and media attention on the issue of “moderate” drinking during pregnancy has never been more intense. Today it is estimated that, ...