CINCINNATI (WKRC) – As alcohol sales in this pandemic have skyrocketed, there are new concerns about a report on women’s health linking alcohol intake to miscarriage.
A new study in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology says alcohol use early in pregnancy may up the risk of miscarriage.
Women’s health researchers studied more than 5,000 women. They found alcohol use in the first five to 10 weeks of pregnancy was tied to an incremental 8% increase in the risk of miscarriage. Researchers also found the impact of alcohol use rose through the ninth week of pregnancy.
What’s interesting is that the risk was not tied to the type of alcohol, the number of drinks per week or binge drinking.
“So, we really don’t believe that any amount of alcohol is safe in pregnancy,” said Dr. Michael Marcotte, a maternal fetal medicine specialist at TriHealth Women’s Services.
Women like Rosa Martinez are counseled to be very careful with diet and things like avoiding alcohol while pregnant. Martinez is due with her third child, a baby girl, in October.
“With the whole pandemic going on, I’m very lucky that I’ve been very healthy with the pregnancy,” said Martinez.
A separate report from the American Heart Association said alcohol sales have doubled since the start of COVID-19.
Since women don’t always know about a pregnancy in the early weeks, Dr. Marcotte said if you’re even thinking about getting pregnant, there’s something important to consider.
“What we think happens is that it primarily affects the mother to care for herself, to be healthy,” said Dr. Marcotte. “We don’t know exactly if it causes birth defects. Some substances we have a suspicion that they cause birth effects. We don’t really understand the mechanism for early miscarriage.”
If you have questions about alcohol or anything else related to prenatal care, make sure you talk to your own women’s health care provider.
