By: Dialethia

In reply to vestal.

It isn’t that simple. Obviously heavy drinking can lead to fetal alcohol syndrom is not a healthy choice during pregnancy. However, in many countries other than the US light drinking during pregnancy is considered normal. Studies vary, with some showing an impact from light/moderate drinking and others showing none. These discrepencies are likely due to the fact that it is difficult to control for other lifestyle factors. One large study from Denmark actually showed that mothers who drank small amounts of alcohol during pregnancy had children with better mental health, though the study noted that women who had the occassional drink during pregnancy tended to belong to a higher social class, ate healthier, and exercised more (the opposite of what one might expect), which may account for the disparity. Abstaining from alcohol is the easist way to make sure one doesn’t drink too much during pregnancy, but that doesn’t mean it is the only safe option.

http://www.livescience.com/41024-drinking-alcohol-pregnant-studies.html