Pregnant Women Who Drink Small Amounts 'Struggle to Bond with Babies'

Drinking during pregnancy may affect a mother’s bonding with her baby

Researchers have found that the new mothers took an average of an extra day more to recover from the birth in hospital than non-drinkers. And they were less likely to have formed a strong attachment to their child three months later, experts at Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen found.

The study looked at 130 mothers-to-be and followed them from the 20th week of their pregnancy until their child was 12 weeks old.

Eilidh Duncan, who led the study, said that one reason that the mothers in the drinking group struggled to bond with their child could be because the alcohol they were exposed to in the womb had left them with behavioural problems.

She added, “It was previously thought ok to have one or two units of alcohol a week and that had changed to complete abstention. Although it doesn’t seem to be affecting the infants it does seem to have negative effects for their mothers and there are potential long term consequences for the children as well.”