Study finds up to 80% of women drink alcohol during pregnancy

A new international study has found that a third of Irish women binge drink in early pregnancy.

The research, which was carried out by UCC, found that 65% to 80% of expectant mothers in Ireland drank some alcohol during their pregnancy.

The aim of the study was to assess the effects the level of alcohol consumption has on a number of vital factors - such as the baby's weight, pre-eclampsia or spontaneous pre-term birth.

Lead Researcher and Professor of Obstetrics at UCC, Louise Kenny, said the effects of alcohol on unborn babies can be subtle but very serious.

She said: "We looked at the effects of alcohol on the eventual outcome of the pregnancy, we looked at whether alcohol is associated with smaller babies or earlier babies.

"We didn't actually find any correlation between alcohol intake and the outcome of pregnancies, which is perhaps not that surprising.

"Previous work has indicated that the detrimental effects of alcohol are quite subtle and they affect the cognisant development of the babies, by that we mean brain development."