B. Larroque et al., EFFECTS ON BIRTH-WEIGHT OF ALCOHOL AND CAFFEINE CONSUMPTION DURING PREGNANCY, American journal of epidemiology, 137(9), 1993, pp. 941-950
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.