Maternal and paternal moderate daily alcohol consumption and unexplained miscarriages

The relation between parental moderate alcohol consumption and the risk of miscarriage was analysed using data from a case-control study in Milan between January 1987 and June 1988. Cases were 94 women who had two or more 'unexplained' miscarriages (after exclusion of genetic, endocrine and Müllerian factors) and without full-term pregnancies, admitted or referred to the First Obstetric and Gynecologic Clinic of the University of Milan. A total of 176 women admitted for normal delivery on selected days to the same university clinic and without previous miscarriages were chosen as controls. Compared with non-drinkers the risk of recurrent miscarriage was 0.9 for regular drinkers. The point estimates were 0.9 for women reporting one drink per day and 0.8 for those reporting two or more. Compared with non-drinkers, the relative risk estimates for drinking by fathers were slightly above unity, being 1.7 for less than three drinks and 1.4 for three or more drinks per day, but the trend in risk was not statistically significant.