Delayed Childbearing Said To Be Tied To Women’s Alcohol Use

Delayed Childbearing Said To Be Tied To Women's Alcohol Use



According to a study that compared women's and men's lifetime history of alcohol dependence and their age when they had their first child, it has been stated that alcoholism is associated with delayed childbearing in women.

Very tellingly, to reach this conclusion, the researchers analyzed data from two groups of Australian twins born between 1893-1964 (3,634 female and 1,880 male twins) and between 1964-1971 (3,381 female and 2,748 male twins).

It is noteworthy of mention that the results showed that alcoholic women in both groups had delayed onset of childbearing, however, the u se of alcohol is stated to have little or no effect on men.

For interested persons, the findings are to be published in the November print issue of the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.

Corresponding author, Mary Waldron, assistant professor of psychiatry at Washington University School of Medicine, said in a journal news release. that: "To our knowledge, this is the first study to examine alcohol's effects on reproductive onset across reproductive development."

She adds: "Most previous research has examined risks to teens or adults but not both. Our findings highlight a risk associated with AD [alcohol dependence] in women that is not widely recognized -- a risk that has assumed increasing importance given the increased rates of alcohol misuse by women and particularly young women,"

To be specific and more precise, experts have also warned that alcohol dependence can cause reproductive dysfunctions for both teen and adult females.

"Reproductive dysfunctions include a range of menstrual disorders, sexual dysfunctions, and pregnancy complications that include spontaneous abortion or miscarriage. Teenagers who drink tend to have disruptions in their menstrual cycle as well as unplanned pregnancies," Waldron said.

"Young women who drink alcohol may want to consider the longer-term consequences for later childbearing," Waldron warned. "If drinking continues or increases to levels of problem use, their ability and/or opportunity to have children may be impaired.


To conclude this report, another related expert, Sharon C. Wilsnack, Chester Fritz Distinguished Professor in the department of clinical neuroscience at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine & Health Sciences adds: "For women who are already experiencing fertility problems or other reproductive difficulties, the study's findings should warn them not to use alcohol to cope with stress caused by the reproductive problems, because alcohol would likely make the reproductive problems worse, as well as carrying risks of possible alcohol abuse or dependence."

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