Pregnant and drinking? Beware!

The risk of a rare type of cancer in children, acute myeloid leukemia (AML), is increased when moms-to-be drink alcohol, says a study. Read on to know more.

The risk of a rare type of cancer in children, acute myeloid leukemia (AML), is increased when moms-to-be drink alcohol, says a study published in the May edition of the American journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

Paule Latino-Martel, Ph.D., research director at the Research Center for Human Nutrition in France and co-author of the study, explained to Relaxnews that the study "analysed 21 case control studies (which is equivalent to 20,000 women)" about their alcohol intake while pregnant and determined "a 56 percent increased risk of AML in children."

"Despite the current recommendation that pregnant women should not drink alcohol during pregnancy, alcohol consumption during pregnancy is 12 percent in the United States, 30 percent in Sweden, 52 percent in France, 59 percent in Australia and 60 percent in Russia," said Latino-Martel.

Childhood AML affects "the white blood cell production in the bone marrow."