A case-control study of maternal alcohol consumption and intrauterine growth retardation

PURPOSE: Heavy maternal drinking during pregnancy causes fetal alcohol synd rome, but whether more moderate alcohol consumption is associated with such adverse pregnancy outcomes as intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) remai ns controversial. METHODS: Using data from a case,control study, we examined the association between maternal alcohol consumption and risk for IUGR among 701 case and 3 36 control infants born during 1993-1995 in Monroe County, New York. RESULTS: Our results provide no evidence of an independent association betw een moderate maternal alcohol consumption (< 14 drinks per week) and risk f or IUGR. The risk for IUGR among heavy drinkers (greater than or equal to 1 4 drinks per week) around the time of conception was OR = 1.4 (95% Cl 0.7-2 .6) for IUGR less than or equal to 5th percentile and OR = 1.4 (95% Cl 0.7- 2.8) for IUGR 5th-10th percentile. For heavy drinkers during the first trim ester, the OR was 1.3 (95% Cl 0.4-4.5) for IUGR less than or equal to 5th p ercentile and OR = 1.3 (95% Cl 0.4-4.8) for IUGR 5th-10th percentile. CONCLUSIONS: Since IUGR is a heterogeneous outcome with a possible multifac torial origin, further studies are needed to examine the combined effects o f alcohol and other environmental and genetic factors on IUGR risk for subg roups of IUGR. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.