Alcohol During Pregnancy Appears to Increase Risk of Atopic Dermatitis in Newborns

Danish researchers have found that women who drink alcohol during their pregnancy significantly increase their child’s risk of developing atopic dermatitis (eczema) within the first two months after birth. Using medical records in the Danish National Birth Cohort dating back to 1955, investigators identified 24,231 mothers, who they interviewed after their child was 18-months. In their findings, researchers noted that women who consumed four or more drinks per week during pregnancy had a four-times greater chance of their child developing eczema. However, this increased risk was mainly found in children whose parents were at a high risk of allergy themselves. While children born to non-drinkers had virtually no increased risk of atopic dermatitis, children who had at least one parent affected by eczema were twice as likely to develop the condition while children whose mothers’ had four or more drinks per week during pregnancy had a three-fold increased risk. In families where both parents suffered from eczema, a child’s risk of developing the condition was 2.2 times higher than if neither parent had eczema. However, if a mother consumed more than four alcoholic drinks per week while pregnant, this risk increased to 8.5 times greater than children born to non-drinking, non-allergic parents. Researchers are continuing their study into the affects of peri-natal alcohol consumption and the development of allergies in children.

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