Maternal consumption ofpulque, a traditional central Mexican alcoholic beverage: relationships to infant growth and development

Abstract

AbstractObjectives:To document the consumption during pregnancy ofpulque, a traditional central Mexican alcoholic beverage, and its relationship to subsequent infant size, physical growth and performance on the Bayley Scales of Infant Development.Design:Prospective cohort study.Setting:Six villages in rural, central Mexico in 1984–1985.Subjects:Seventy mother–infant pairs.Results:Most women (72.9%) consumedpulqueduring pregnancy, and 28.6% consumed more than 150 g ethanol week−1from the beverage. Individuals who consumedpulqueshowed no compensating decrease in energy obtained from other foods.Pulqueconsumption possessed curvilinear relationships with both infant length (at 1 and 6 months) and Bayley mental performance (at 6 months). Heavypulqueintakes were associated with smaller infant size and poorer mental performance. In modest quantities,pulqueconsumption may have been beneficial due to its micronutrient content.Conclusions:Intakes of alcohol frompulquewere common among pregnant women in these rural, central Mexican villages. Given current scientific knowledge of the adverse effects of ethanol on foetal development, public health interventions are needed to reduce heavypulqueconsumption during pregnancy in some areas of rural Mexico.