title: [Use of alcohol during conception, pregnancy and lactation].
abstract: Recently, the Dutch Health Council published a report on the risks of the use of alcohol during conception, pregnancy and lactation. Because the medical literature does not prove the safety of the use of small amounts of alcohol, the Health Council recommends using no alcohol whatsoever. One may wonder whether the advice of the Health Council is not too rigid. Since Karl Popper, it is evident that the truth of the hypothesis that the consumption of small amounts of alcohol is safe will never be verified. Because the medical literature also does not prove the harmfulness of the irregular use of small amounts of alcohol, it is not necessary to upset pregnant women who occasionally take an alcoholic beverage. It is preferable to use no alcohol; however, the rare consumption of a single glass does not seem to be harmful.
authors.affiliation: Nederlands Huisartsen Genootschap, afd. Richtlijnontwikkeling en Wetenschapsbeleid, Postbus 3231, 3502 GE Utrecht.
authors.forename: Tj
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wiersma
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Flikweert
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zeeman
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Schagen van Leeuwen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects; D001942:Breast Feeding; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005260:Female; D005306:Fertilization / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008425:Maternal Behavior; D049590:Postpartum Period; D011247:Pregnancy