Women should not drink unless they are on birth control, says study
A new report finds that half of all pregnancies in the US are unplanned so having sex and drinking is ‘exposing’ babies to risk
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Your support makes all the difference.A new study faces a backlash after saying that millions of women are at risk of exposing their babies to alcohol - because they are drinking and not using birth control.
The US-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said 3.3 million women between 15 and 44 are at risk and should not drink if they are trying to get pregnant, despite critics saying there is a lack of evidence which shows that moderate alcohol consumption can harm foetal development.
The "Vital Signs" report stated that healthcare providers should advise women who want to become pregnant to stop drinking alcohol as soon as they stop using birth control.
It also said half of pregnancies in the US are unplanned, and most women do not know they are pregnant until four to six weeks, therefore women are “unknowingly” exposing babies to alcohol.
“The risk is real. Why take the chance?” asked CDC Principal Deputy Director Anne Schuchat.
Her views were emphasised in a new infographic from the government agency, which argued that drinking can pose "many risks" to all women.
Emily Oster, an economist and author, wrote in her 2013 book Expecting Better that there is no scientific evidence that light drinking during pregnancy affects a baby’s health, as reported by Slate.
The CDC’s non-alcohol approach has been established for at least 10 years, but the advice to stop drinking - even if you’re not trying to get pregnant - is new.
A 2006 report recommended that women should treat themselves as “pre-pregnant” and take folic acid, avoid smoking and maintain a healthy weight - just in case.
Many people took to social media to protest at the perception that women are nothing more than baby-breeders.
NPR News suggested the CDC’s message of “stop drinking if you’re trying to get pregnant” could have been misconstrued.
“We really urge women, their partners and their friends to be supportive of that,” said Ms Schuchat to reporters.
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