Search for association between MCV and miscarriage, reflecting ethanol consumption or otherwise.
In 38 miscarrying women and 38 pair-matched controls, all studied retrospectively, the mean pair-difference in MCV is + 1.2 fl, P less than 0.05 (one-tailed). As ethanol elevates MCV, this might weakly support the suggested role of ethanol in some miscarriages, although folate/B12 deficiencies cannot be excluded. The paper demonstrates only the feasibility of a first step in defining the possible role of ethanol in some miscarriages. It identifies a difficulty encountered from earlier attendance in the miscarrying group so that a later study could circumvent it and perhaps lead to a case for funding of a prospective enquiry into the dose-response relations of any association that might exist.
Fernandez-Fontecha
M L
ML
Department of Epidemiology and Population Sciences, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, U.K.
Renwick
J H
JH
D000022:Abortion, Spontaneous / Q000097:blood*; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000502:physiology*; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004909:Erythrocyte Indices / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors