Mild maternal drinking and pregnancy outcome: Perceived versus true risks

Millions of fetuses worldwide every year are exposed to mild maternal alcohol consumption during the first trimester of pregnancy. Health professionals and agencies often suggest that even mild drinking can affect the fetus, despite many studies refuting this fact. To characterize women's perception of the teratogenic risk of alcohol we studied 30 nonpregnant adult women aged 19-52 years. They first watched a videotape which includes alarming information of fetal risk after mild drinking. Following the movie, women's views changed significantly towards believing that even one drink during pregnancy can harm the fetus. Scientists and physicians should refrain from unfounded statement of fetal risks from mild alcohol consumption. These may lead to unnecessary termination of otherwise wanted pregnancies.