EFFECTS ON BIRTH-WEIGHT OF ALCOHOL AND CAFFEINE CONSUMPTION DURING PREGNANCY

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of alcohol and caf feine consumption on birth weight and the possible interaction of thes e substances with smoking. The sample included 628 women who were inte rviewed at their first visit to the maternity hospital of Roubaix, Fra nce, in 1985-1986. A significant reduction in birth weight was found t o be associated with an average daily alcohol consumption of three dri nks or more after gestational age, infant sex, maternal age, parity, w eight, and height, and cigarette smoking had been controlled for. Ther e was no interaction between smoking and alcohol consumption on birth weight, but a significant relation between alcohol consumption and bir th weight was observed among nonsmokers as well as heavy smokers. The relation observed between caffeine and birth weight disappeared after adjustment for smoking. Our results indicate that alcohol reduces birt h weight, but do not support the hypothesis of an interaction between smoking and alcohol consumption.