Maternal alcohol ingestion and the incidence of respiratory distress syndrome.

The risk of respiratory distress syndrome in infants born to mothers with varying quantities of alcohol intake during pregnancy was assessed. In infants less than 37 weeks' gestation, there was a decreasing incidence of respiratory distress syndrome with increasing maternal alcohol consumption (p less than 0.02). In addition, in infants less than 37 weeks' gestation, maternal alcohol ingestion was associated with a decreased risk of respiratory distress syndrome even when adjusted for other factors such as smoking, gestational age, birth weight, Apgar score, and sex of the infant. It is suggested that maternal alcohol ingestion enhances the maturation of the fetal lung.