Alcohol should be labelled as dangerous to pregnancy says expert

A nutrition expert wants all liquor sold in New Zealand to carry a health warning: Do not drink alcohol if you are pregnant. Alcohol taken during pregnancy may harm your baby.

Massey University Institute of Food, Nutrition and Human Health associate professor Kathy Kitson wants pregnant women warned because a foetus is "exquisitely sensitive" to alcohol, which passes undiluted across the placental barrier and can hurt brain development.

"We need the warnings on bottles and cans, and on the shop wall at the point of sale," Dr Kitson said. "We're used to seeing this warning on cigarette packets. Alcohol should be labelled as well."

Research shows alcohol disturbs the balance of natural chemicals needed by the developing brain.

Dr Kitson said foetal alcohol syndrome and a milder form, foetal alcohol spectrum disorder, are considered the most common non-hereditary causes of mental retardation.

In the United States, alcohol is labelled to indicate it may damage the foetus during pregnancy.

Research indicates even one or two drinks a day when pregnant can result in a child having learning and other difficulties.

The New Zealand Alcohol Advisory Council estimates two to three babies out of every 1000 have foetal alcohol syndrome, and four to five in every 1000 suffer some effects.

Massey University PhD student Sherly Parackal surveyed midwives about their clients' alcohol consumption during pregnancy.

She found 82 per cent of pregnant teenagers drink, and pregnant women here drink two to three times more alcohol than American women.

Dr Kitson said many adults know binge-drinking hurts their bodies but acceptance has been slow about alcohol's effects on unborn children.

Until now, medical advice has varied on drinking alcohol during pregnancy. Some doctors suggest mild social drinking is safe.

"However, we do not know what, if any, amount of alcohol is completely safe," Dr Kitson said.

The Alcohol Advisory Council advises no alcohol during pregnancy.

- NZPA