Although many doctors and even government agencies have asked many expectant mothers to avoid alcohol altogether, having one glass of wine a day during pregnancy, should be absolutely fine.

There is a reason why women were told to abstain from drinking alcohol during pregnancy. In fact as per certain studies that were conducted a couple of years ago, heavy or binge drinking during pregnancy had its effects on intelligence of babies, leading to birth defects and problems related to behavior and fine motor skills.

There was also a small risk of giving birth to premature/underweight babies. The effects of mild drinking however were unknown. Moreover, since there was always the confusion of what a safe limit was, pregnant women were asked to avoid alcohol altogether. Yet about 80 percent of the moms-to-be, especially in countries like UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland, indulge in some amount of alcohol consumption during their pregnancy.

A recent study has confirmed that pregnant women can easily consume up to one glass of wine per day without worrying about any kind of harm to their children.

As per the findings, the children of mothers who consumed mild levels of alcohol during pregnancy, showed better mental health development. However, consumption in large quantities caused significant developmental issues in children.

Consuming excessive alcohol during pregnancy can cause something called FAS or Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. This happens when excess amount of alcohol reaches the baby through the placenta and umbilical cord.

The tiny liver of the baby will not be able to break down this alcohol as it would still be in its developmental stage. More and more quantities of alcohol may increase the concentration of blood-alcohol in the developing baby, thereby interfering with the process of delivering oxygen to its tissues and organ.

Babies born with fetal alcohol syndrome may experience facial abnormalities, slow growth, and problems with their central nervous system. There are babies that are born with less weight and smaller skulls. Going forward, some may even show signs of mental retardation.

The exact amount of alcohol that can be taken without causing any harm to the fetus could be difficult to determine. It could vary from one pregnant woman to the other, depending on the kind of tolerance the womb has to alcohol.

Yet, there are women who have given birth to absolutely healthy babies even after consuming alcohol on a daily basis during their pregnancy.

There are times during pregnancy when you would like to have that occasional glass of red wine to ease out your discomfort. As long as you don’t go over ride, this should be okay. In fact it could even protect you against obesity since it includes an ingredient called “Resveratrol.”

This is the same ingredient that is present in certain fruits, chocolates, and medicines too. Taking these in appropriate proportions should not cause any harm.

Whether you want to have wine or not during your pregnancy is a decision that you need to make. If you want any more information on what to choose, how to choose and how to consume, WineLadyBird would be worth a visit.