Breastfeeding mothers who drink alcohol may be exposing their babies to the risk of impaired brain development, maternal experts have warned.
They noted that alcohol does not serve any
good to pregnant and nursing mothers, and maintained that no level of alcohol
in the breast is considered safe for a baby to suckle.
A Consultant Gynaecologist at the Nnamdi
Azikiwe Teaching Hospital, Awka, Anambra, Dr. Stanley Egbogu, said breastfeeding has many health benefits for
babies – including a lower risk of asthma, allergies and infections – new
mothers who struggle to stop drinking while breastfeeding should receive extra
support to quit.
He said, Egbogu, “What we advise is that they
should abstain from alcohol. That is the baseline. Normally, if a woman has not
been taking alcohol, she will most likely not take it during pregnancy. So, you
have a situation where most women may have been taking alcohol before getting
pregnant.
“Alcohol affects every organ of the baby and
might lead to a baby having a small head – microcephaly. It affects the heart,
kidney, and liver of the baby.”
Mayo Clinic, an online health portal in an
article published on its website noted that breastfed babies that are exposed
to one drink a day might have impaired motor development and that alcohol could
cause changes in their sleep patterns.
“Also, while folklore says that drinking
alcohol improves milk production, studies show that alcohol actually decreases
milk production and that the presence of alcohol in breast milk causes babies
to drink about 20 per cent less breast milk.
“If you choose to drink, avoid breastfeeding
until the alcohol has completely cleared from your breast milk. If you plan to
drink alcohol, consider having a drink just after breastfeeding so that the
alcohol begins to clear from your breast milk during the natural interval
between breastfeeding sessions.
“Remember, breastfeeding is the optimal way
to feed a newborn and is recommended until a baby is at least of age. If you
choose to drink, plan carefully to avoid exposing your baby to alcohol”, Mayo
Clinic stated.
Meanwhile, in research scarried out by the
University of California – Riverside and published in ScienceDaily, it was
found that infants’ exposure to alcohol through breast milk could have
long-lasting effects on their brain and behavioural development.
According to the researchers, the reduction
of body and brain weights may be explained by the gut’s inability to
efficiently extract nutrients when alcohol is ingested.
Currently, the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention advise against maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy and
states that there is no known safe level of consumption.
Led by Kelly Huffman, a professor of
Psychology at the university, the team said specifically, young mice that were
exposed to alcohol during early development showed smaller body and brain
growth, as well as decreased cortical lengths — a measure of brain size.
The researchers focused on lactational
ethanol exposure, or LEE, and developed a novel postnatal alcohol exposure
model in breastfeeding mice.
In the mouse model, the researchers said
offspring were exposed to ethanol via nursing from ‘postnatal day (P) 6 through
P20 (weaning)’, a period equivalent to infancy in humans.
They noted that compared to controls, LEE
mice had reduced body and brain weights, as well as decreased neocortical
lengths as weaning continuing through to early puberty (age P30).
“Brain weights were reduced in both ages for
males, and at P20 for females; however, P30 female brain weights recovered to
control levels. This discovery provides evidence towards sex-specific
differences due to LEE”, they added.
The research showed that approximately 36 per
cent of breastfeeding mothers in the United States consume alcohol.
In Canada and Australia, the numbers were
noted to be 20 per cent and 60 per cent respectively.
Evidence also showed that women who consume
alcohol during pregnancy are more likely to drink while breastfeeding, while
many women who choose to abstain from drinking during pregnancy report drinking
again shortly after giving birth.
Commenting on the report, the lead author,
Prof. Huffman said, “The reduced body weights in both males and females at P20
and P30 are reflected in human studies in which children exposed to ethanol
through contaminated breast milk have lower body weights and growth
trajectories.
“A decrease in protein synthesis in the small
intestine may block absorption of micro- and macronutrients.
“Thus, women should refrain from consuming
alcohol during breastfeeding until more research can help recommend safe
maternal practices in early infancy.
“We hope our work will increase public
awareness of safe maternal practices’.
With regard to how the behavioural
development of the LEE mice is affected, Huffman said behavioural tests her
team performed on LEE mice suggested that they engage in higher risk-taking
behaviour and show abnormal stress regulation and increased hyperactivity.
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