THE EFFECT OF MODERATE MATERNAL ALCOHOL-CONSUMPTION ON BIRTH-WEIGHT AND GESTATIONAL-AGE IN A LOW-RISK POPULATION

We analyzed the relationship between moderate maternal alcohol consump tion during pregnancy and both birth weight corrected for gestational age and preterm delivery in 3447 women. Information on alcohol consump tion in the first and second trimester was obtained during mid pregnan cy and information about third trimester drinking was obtained a few d ays after delivery. After adjustment for possible confounders we found that for most women alcohol consumption was unrelated to birth weight corrected for gestational age and preterm delivery. However, in the s ubgroup of women smoking 20 cigarettes or more a day, drinking more th an 120 g alcohol a week in early pregnancy was associated with a 7.2% (95% CI 0.2% to 14.2%) decrease in birth weight. We conclude that the effect of alcohol use on birth weight corrected for gestational age an d gestational age is limited. However, in women who smoke heavily, a r eported consumption of about two drinks or more a day in early pregnan cy may be an additional risk factor for impaired fetal growth.