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(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- New research conducted in mice suggests taking zinc supplements may prevent some of the damage to an unborn child caused by excessive alcohol consumption.
However, while the finding may eventually have implications for women who inadvertently engage in binge drinking before they even know they are pregnant, it does not mean women may one day be able to drink safely while carrying a child.
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"We have not determined whether zinc protects against all of the possible negative outcomes from alcohol exposure in pregnancy," study author Peter Coyle, associate professor at the Hanson Institute in Adelaide, Australia, was quoted as saying. "Nor would we recommend that makers of alcoholic beverages include zinc in their product so that women can drink while pregnant. Indeed, we take the conservative stand of a 'no alcohol policy' during pregnancy."
In the study, Coyle and his colleagues injected pregnant mice with either alcohol or a saline solution on day eight of their pregnancies. That roughly corresponds to weeks three-eight in women, a time when many women have yet to determine they are pregnant. All the mice were on either a regular or zinc supplemented diet throughout their pregnancies.
Results showed zinc supplemented diets prevented fetal abnormalities caused by the alcohol injection. The researchers believe zinc helps prevent these problems by counteracting the drop in zinc that occurs in women's blood in response to alcohol. This prevents zinc deficiency, and thus, the problems for the fetus that go along with it.
Why not just give all women zinc supplements to ensure these problems don't arise? The authors go on to note zinc can have unwanted side effects, including anemia if taken in excess, and scientists have yet to determine the appropriate dose for pregnant women. They also emphasize their study was conducted in mice, not humans, and much more work is needed before applying the information to women.
SOURCE: Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, published online February 2, 2009
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