Alcohol & Pregnancy
Alcohol consumption during pregnancy can affect your baby’s cognitive (ability to think, learn and remember) and physical (relating to the body) development.
There is a condition called Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) that can affect a baby during it's development in the womb if a woman drinks too much alcohol during pregnancy. Research has shown that in America as many as 1 in 100 babies could have mild damage caused by alcohol, and as many as 1 in 1,000 babies show the affects of ‘full blown’ FAS.
When a woman drinks alcohol so does her baby.
Women should consider their alcohol intake prior to pregnancy (before conception, whilst trying to get pregnant), during pregnancy and even after pregnancy (whilst breastfeeding).
There are two main reasons for eliminating alcohol intake before conception:
- Alcohol can reduce a women’s fertility (and a man’s too).
- Many women do not stop or reduce their intake until the pregnancy has been confirmed; but by then the embryo/foetus has had several very important weeks of growth. A time where the ‘blueprint’ for the baby is being established, a period during which exposure to alcohol, or any other hazardous substance for that matter, can be very damaging. It is in this critical period that a woman may not even know that she is pregnant.
The problem is caused because alcohol in a pregnant woman’s bloodstream circulates directly to the embryo (during the first few weeks), the fetus (via the placenta) or even the baby (via breast milk in the case of breastfeeding after birth).
Alcohol interferes with the ability of the fetus to receive sufficient oxygen and nourishment for normal cell development in the brain and other body organs.
Alcohol can also cause deficiencies in important minerals and vitamins particularly vitamins B1(thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B6 (pyridoxine), B9 (folate, folic acid) and C.
Unfortunately the effects for the baby are long lasting, symptoms include:
- Growth deficiencies – small heads, bodies and low birth weights
- Facial abnormalities – small or drooping eyes, sunken nose, mouth and jaw deformities
- Skeletal defects – abnormal joints and limbs
- Central nervous system – restricted brain growth and development
Children that are victims of FAS may have physical disabilities and often experience mental health problems such as: learning, memory, attention, problem solving and social behavioural problems.
Drinking during pregnancy is also associated with miscarriage, premature birth and complications during birth.
Current advice from America and Canada is to avoid drinking alcohol during pregnancy; the UK guidelines suggest that pregnant women should not drink alcohol in the first three months of pregnancy and should drink no more than 1 - 2 units once or twice a week. It is also suggested that women planning to get pregnant should also stop drinking.
Just remember:
There is no identified safe level of consumption.
For this reason it is better to give up before pregnancy.
FAS is completely preventable.
Try to give it up, for your sake, and for the health of your baby.
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