A Case-Control Study of Maternal Alcohol Consumption and Intrauterine Growth Retardation

PURPOSE: Heavy maternal drinking during pregnancy causes fetal alcohol syndrome, but whether more moderate alcohol consumption is associated with such adverse pregnancy outcomes as intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) remains controversial. METHODS: Using data from a case-control study, we examined the association between maternal alcohol consumption and risk for IUGR among 701 case and 336 control infants born during 1993-1995 in Monroe County, New York. RESULTS: Our results provide no evidence of an independent association between moderate maternal alcohol consumption (<14 drinks per week) and risk for IUGR. The risk for IUGR among heavy drinkers (greater-or-equal, slanted14 drinks per week) around the time of conception was OR = 1.4 (95% CI 0.7–2.6) for IUGR less-than-or-equals, slant 5th percentile and OR = 1.4 (95% CI 0.7–2.8) for IUGR 5th–10th percentile. For heavy drinkers during the first trimester, the OR was 1.3 (95% CI 0.4–4.5) for IUGR less-than-or-equals, slant 5th percentile and OR = 1.3 (95% CI 0.4–4.8) for IUGR 5th–10th percentile. CONCLUSIONS: Since IUGR is a heterogeneous outcome with a possible multifactorial origin, further studies are needed to examine the combined effects of alcohol and other environmental and genetic factors on IUGR risk for subgroups of IUGR.