Drinking while pregnant 'weakens mothers bond with child'

Moms-to-be, here's another reason why you should stop drinking -- Downing alcoholic beverages, even in a small quantity, while pregnant can weaken a mother's bond with her child, says a new study.

Researchers at the Aberdeen's Robert Gordon University have based their findings after looking at 130 first-time moms with varying levels of alcohol intake.

After the births, the researchers looked at issues including delivery type, length of hospital stay, pregnancy and labour complications, maternal attachment and post-natal
drinking habits.

Subsequently, all the mothers were asked a series of questions after giving birth to determine the level of their attachment to their child.

It was found that the women who drank during pregnancy had significantly lower levels of bonding than non-drinkers. And, even mothers who drank no more than once a month, the study found, had to spend an extra day recovering in hospital. Dr Katrina Forbes-McKay, one of the researchers, was quoted by 'The Daily Telegraph' as saying: "This research confirms that drinking even small amounts during pregnancy has
negative outcomes for women.

"Alcohol use during pregnancy not only lengthens the mother's stay in hospital, but can be directly associated with lower levels of mother-child bonding."

She also stressed that the level of affection between a mother who drank during pregnancy and her child was not low, but lower than that of a mother who did not drink at all during pregnancy.