University College London (UCL) researchers suggest that "light drinking" – defined as consuming up to two drinks a week throughout pregnancy -- will not increase a child's risk of developing behavioral or cognitive problems, the BBC reported Oct. 31.

The mothers of nine-month-old children told researchers how much alcohol they had consumed during pregnancy. Sixty-three percent of the mothers had abstained from alcohol completely during pregnancy, 29 percent had been light drinkers (one drink every so often to two drinks per week), 6 percent were classed as moderate drinkers (between three and six units per week), and 2 percent were considered heavy drinkers (seven or more units per week, or at least six per occasion).

The researchers returned to study the behavior and comprehension skills of the 12,500 children in the study at age three. They found boys born to light drinkers were 40 percent less likely to have behavior problems and 30 percent less likely to be hyperactive than those whose mothers had abstained. The boys also had better vocabulary scores and did better at color, shape, letter and number identification.

Girls born to light drinkers were 30 percent less likely to have emotional problems than those born to abstainers. The researchers, however, said this could be due to family and social backgrounds.

"Our research has found that light drinking by pregnant mothers does not increase the risk of behavioral problems and cognitive defects," said Yvonne Kelly, lead author of the study. "The reasons behind these findings might in part be because light drinkers tend to be more socially advantaged than abstainers, rather than being due to the physical benefits of low-level alcohol consumption seen, for example, in heart disease," Kelly said.

Kelly added that the findings "do raise questions as to whether the current push for policy to recommend complete abstinence during pregnancy is merited and suggest that further research needs to be done."

However, British Medical Association (BMA) science and ethics expert Vivienne Nathanson expressed concern that "the findings from the UCL study may lull women into a false sense of security and ... that there is no problem with drinking during pregnancy." She said the BMA "believes the simplest and safest advice is for women not to drink alcohol during pregnancy."

The study was published online on Oct. 30, 2008 in the Journal of Epidemiology.