London - Women who drink alcohol around the time they become pregnant put their baby at much higher risk of suffering type 2 diabetes and obesity in later life, a study found.
In tests on rats, scientists found that the equivalent of five alcoholic drinks consumed around the time of conception “causes changes to the embryo” even before the egg has implanted.
Researcher Dr Karen Moritz, of the University of Queensland in Australia, explained that changes to foetal development can mean babies have “increased susceptibility to disease later in life”.
The team fed some rats a diet including alcohol from four days before conception until four days after. Others were fed the same food but no alcohol. Babies born to the first group were much more likely to show signs of diabetes and obesity at six months old.
For humans this would mean being at a higher risk of the diseases in early middle age, the team said. Dr Moritz added that exposure to alcohol around conception presents a similar risk for developing these diseases as the more recognised risk factors of poor diet and lack of exercise.
Writing in the Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, the team said it is therefore “crucial” to inform women about the risks.
Daily Mail